Sunrise Island
by LornaCat
Summary: A loose adaptation of the movie Couples Retreat, with four couples from Desperate Housewives: Bree/Orson, Katherine/Mike, Lynette/Tom and Gabrielle/Carlos. AU-ish, but kinda takes place in early season 6!
1. The Pitch

_A loose adaptation of the movie Couples Retreat with four couples from Desperate Housewives: Bree/Orson, Katherine/Mike, Lynette/Tom and Gabrielle/Carlos. This also works as an alternate start to season 6; that's when it takes place at least. I tried to treat each couple equally, but there's a slight emphasis on Brorson and Mikerine drama since they start off in deeper trouble than the others, and I struggled with whether to spoil this or not, but...if you like Kadam, stay tuned. hehe._

_Rated T for typical network primetime soap content. It gets sexy...but not too sexy. __Enjoy!_

* * *

**Sunrise Island**

* * *

Lynette turned on the lights in her living room. Six of her closest friends looked at each other, not sure what to say. They were all in a bit of shock after watching the presentation that Lynette and Tom had put together.

"So what do you think?" Tom prodded them. "Will you do it?"

The Scavos needed couples counseling if they were going to survive. But they also needed the group rate for the special resort if they were going to survive financially. They were counting on Carlos, Gabby, Mike, Katherine, Bree and Orson to join them on their trip for a little rest and relaxation.

"We don't need counseling." Bree said plainly, speaking for both herself and for Orson. Her polite smile tried to hide what Orson's frown easily revealed. He sighed, knowing the opposite was true. What she really meant was, she didn't want it.

"Well that's the beauty of Sunrise Island!" Tom said with enthusiasm. "You don't have to do the counseling if you don't want to. While Lynette and I are talking with the licensed therapist, you and Orson can go waterskiing! Or on a nature hike!"

Tom could tell that Orson was interested, but, as always, he was keeping his opinion to himself lest it upset Bree.

"Or," said Lynette to Bree, picking up where Tom left off, for she could also sense that they were losing them. "You could enjoy a spa treatment while Orson goes fishing?"

"No one is saying this is a bad idea." said Gabrielle. "I'm pretty sure heaven _is _a spa treatment on a tropical island. It's just so expensive, even with the group rate..."

"Can you really put a price on saving your marriage?" asked Tom.

"Yes, you can." said Gabby. "Especially when your marriage is fine and your child is about to get braces."

"Hey." Carlos said softly. "How many times do I have to tell you not to worry about the money? I've been working long hours, and you're a full-time mom 24 hours a day. We deserve a break."

Gabrielle smiled softly at Carlos, remembering just why she re-married this husband of hers.

"I guess we're in." she said, smiling and shrugging at Lynette and Tom. The blonde couple nearly clapped with joy. One down, two to go. Unfortunately the last two couples would need the most convincing, but only from one of the spouses.

"We _really _can't afford this." Mike drawled.

"And I just...haven't the time." said Bree, giving a cold little chuckle this time.

"What a coincidence," Katherine muttered. "Both problems caused by you firing me."

Bree glanced down at her lap, neither acknowledging nor ignoring Katherine's sarcastic remark.

"You can make time." said Lynette to Bree, who looked back up. "If not for yourself, then for me and Tom. Please." Lynette turned to Katherine and Mike, pleading with her eyes.

Katherine leaned toward Mike, putting a hand on his knee. "You're selling your old house, aren't you? Can't we just take a few thousand off the top and go on this trip together?"

Mike tried not to sigh; he'd been told by Katherine that he did that a lot lately. He couldn't help it, when his thoughts wandered to a former life as often as they did. He liked being near MJ, and though he'd never admit it, he liked being near Susan. Two weeks away from them would be hard for him, but he knew Katherine deserved his attention too. They were married, after all...

"Yeah." he said quietly, turning the corners of his lips up so it would look like a smile. Katherine, who was in complete denial, took it as genuine, and she was so excited. She turned to Lynette.

"We're in too!" she said.

Now all eyes were on Bree. She was the one hold out. She felt cornered, and she did not appreciate that at all. If two weeks away was going to be hard for Mike, it would be torture for Bree since she'd started up a flirtation with her lawyer. However, she knew she had a lot to make up to her friends. Her career had caused her attitude, and her attitude caused friction, friction she was trying so hard to decrease. Also, she had to keep up appearances until she could trick Orson into divorcing her. An idea popped into Bree's head then. Perhaps she could use this trip to show Orson that their marriage really was over and couldn't be fixed.

In a change of heart so abrupt it raised eyebrows, Bree's face transformed from barely-able-to-keep-from-sneering to cheery-as-a-morning-church-bell.

"We'll go." she said. "For you, Lynette." she added, just to give Orson an extra jab. He smiled in spite of it, glad for another chance at redemption.

Tom and Lynette couldn't believe it. They'd done it - they'd convinced their stubborn, cranky, selfish friends to take a vacation! They turned to each other, laughing at their good fortune.

"We're going to Sunrise Island!"


	2. An Unpleasant Surprise

Their plane landed on the mainland next to a beautiful sea, because Sunrise Island was a very small island only accessible by boat. Katherine took a quick trip to the bathroom, and when she came back to the dock to join her friends and neighbors she saw Mike on his cell phone, standing far from the group so he could have privacy.

"I miss you too." he said quietly, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear him. "I'll see you when I get home. I gotta go...okay...okay, bye."

Mike turned, and seemed a bit surprised to see Katherine there behind him. His mind searched for a plausible explanation for the words he'd just said, and he was trying to remember if he'd said anything incriminating.

"That was MJ." he said. Katherine was smiling, but he could tell she was hiding her emotions, biting her tongue.

"How is the little guy?"

"He's good." said Mike, even though he had no idea how his son was doing. It wasn't MJ that Mike had spoken to.

"Does he miss his daddy?"

"Wouldn't you?" Mike joked, giving Katherine a quick kiss on the cheek before he walked back to the main group.

_Wouldn't I?_ wondered Katherine. _I spent all day with you, and I already do._

_* * *_

"Hey guys, I think I see the ferry!" said Tom to all the people waiting on the dock.

"Oh goodie." Bree muttered under her breath. "Is he going to take our coins and row us across the river to meet Cerberus?"

Mike forgot to stifle a chuckle, and he shared a cynical smile with Bree. Katherine and Orson made eye contact at that moment, and without saying a word, each knew exactly how the other felt - like unwanted baggage.

As Tom made sure everyone had their bags and was ready for departure, Gabrielle noticed Lynette standing off to the side, staring out at the water.

"Hey." Gabrielle greeted her, walking up beside her and placing a hand on her back. Lynette turned and smiled but, like Katherine, her smile did not convey happiness. "You look worried." Gabrielle told her. Lynette shrugged.

"I am." she admitted. "I just don't know how it came to this." she added, referring to the couples counseling they were headed for.

"This," said Gabrielle, gesturing to the beautiful scene before them. "Is not a case of 'how it came to this.' That's what you say when the pen is hovering over the last page of the divorce papers. If marriage counseling in paradise is what you need to get back to a happy place, then I am here for you. And not just for the sun tanning and free margaritas. You and Tom are going to make it. Carlos and I believe in you. We wouldn't be here if we didn't."

"Thank you, Gabby." Lynette whispered, emotional from her bff's words of encouragement. What she said was true; their willingness to work on their problems before giving up was a good sign. Lynette and Gabrielle looked at their other girlfriends, and they both sighed sadly. "What are we going to do with them?" Lynette lamented.

"I've been trying not to think about it." Gabrielle admitted, grimacing a little at the thought of their truly rocky relationships. "Mike still loves Susan, and Bree just looks _done_." As if to punctuate Gabrielle's statement, Bree crossed her arms and looked away as Orson reached for their bags. He moved toward the ferry, which had docked while Lynette and Gabrielle were talking. Bree eventually followed, but at a distance.

"Well. I'll pray for them." said Gabrielle, linking her arm in Lynette's as they made their way to the boat. "While I'm tanning and drinking my margaritas, of course."

Lynette smiled, happy Gabrielle had come along. Katherine and Orson were going to need someone's prayers.

* * *

All eight passengers couldn't help but smile as they finally arrived at their destination. All thoughts of obligation faded for a few moments when Sunrise Island came into view.

"Are those our cabanas?" asked Carlos, his eyes glued to the little huts that weren't just next to the beach, but on the beach.

"They should be." said Tom. "If the presentation we showed you was accurate."

"Don't take this the wrong way," said Carlos, putting his arm around Tom's shoulders. "But thank you sooo much for having problems with your marriage."

Tom chuckled, taking the joke well. When Carlos walked back to Gabrielle, Tom turned to Lynette to make sure she was okay.

"You ready?" he asked her softly. Lynette smiled and nodded, like she had with Gabrielle. She was worried, but willing to try. Tom leaned toward her, giving her a tender kiss on the lips. "We're gonna get through this." Tom assured her.

"Welcome." said a smooth, soothing voice as their boat slowly came to a stop at the island dock. Their host, a tall man in his early 40's, had his hands clasped behind his back, and he was dressed like a butler on vacation; relaxed, but still stuffy. Tom and Lynette disembarked first, and the man with the slow and steady, accented voice smiled as they walked toward him. "Welcome to Sunrise Island. I am Benson, and I will be your host throughout your stay at this unique resort."

The dock was underneath a thatched roof made of dried palms. The roofed pathway led to what looked like the main lobby, but their host seemed to be herding them in the other direction.

"Don't we have to check in?" Lynette wondered.

"I've already done that for you." said Benson. "The personal profiles you filled out for us prior to approval were consulted before your scheduled arrival date. Please be assured, they will remain confidential. They were only used to assign you your rooms and your counselors."

"Wait, counselors?" said Gabrielle, emphasizing the plural.

"We were under the impression that only Tom and I were getting counseling." Lynette added.

"Oh, quite the contrary." said Benson. "The sessions with your counselor are required. If you don't participate fully in our program, you will have to leave the island."

At this, there were murmurs of discomfort, betrayal and disappointment.

"Hey, guys...guys!" Tom said, loud enough to get their attention. The complaining stopped, and they all turned to look at him. "Remember what you came here for? To support your friends? Please, stay and participate. It couldn't hurt to talk to someone, would it?"

"You don't have to answer that." Lynette added quickly, for the benefit of a select few in their party. She turned to Tom, lowering her voice. "If they want to leave, we should let them leave. We're already here, we can do the program - "

"Actually," said Benson. "No, that won't be possible. Our resort is very exclusive, and very popular. You received a discount for the group package. If one couple leaves, all the couples in your group must leave. There are plenty of other couples that would gladly take your places, but we gave those spots to you. You must participate...or go."

Mike and Bree looked pissed, Orson and Katherine looked sad, and Gabrielle and Carlos looked regretful. It was the presentation in their living room all over again. Lynette was tired of giving speeches but she couldn't give up now.

"Okay, listen." Lynette said to the group. "The counseling sessions don't start until tomorrow. Just give us one night, think it over. We can all go to dinner and hang out, it'll be fun. If you decide you still want to leave, then tomorrow we'll pack up and go. All I ask is that you give it a chance."

"Look around you." said Tom, not missing a beat. "You flew all the way to paradise, you can't turn around and go because of some tiny little meetings you have to go to."

Lynette looked to Gabrielle. Gabrielle looked up at Carlos, and he nodded his silent agreement.

"Dinner sounds like a great idea." said Gabrielle.

"Dinner sounds fabulous." Katherine chimed in, walking past Mike and Bree before they could disagree. She walked up to the host and flashed a friendly smile. "So where are the rooms?"

Benson led them down the path to their rooms, over a wooden boardwalk that took them over water, sand and grass. Before they moved into an area surrounded by trees, Mike saw across the water, about half a mile out, there was another island. Loud music was booming, and the flashing colored lights were visible even in the midday sun. It seemed as if a huge party was going on.

"Hey, what's that over there?" asked Mike. Benson turned to see where he was pointing, and his face grew even more dour than it was naturally.

"That," Benson said carefully. "Is Sunset Island."

"Ooh, is that where we go after dark?" said Tom.

"Yeah, how do we get over there?" asked Carlos.

"You don't." Benson said simply. "That island is our singles resort. It is strictly forbidden for participants of our couples retreat program."

The three men who'd spoken of it exchanged 'aw, maaan' looks, but they didn't say anything.

"Is there a club like that on this island?" Gabrielle inquired.

Benson smiled. "No. Most of your time here will be spent in quiet reflection. Speaking of which, I must ask that you hand over all cellular phones and handheld communication devices."

Another round of complaints, much louder and more passionate than the first, was raised among the group. After some patient staring from Benson, all but one of them handed their phones to Benson, who placed them in a basket carried by an island servant.

"Mrs. Hodge?" Benson prompted.

She smiled calmly. "I didn't bring one."

"Are you sure?" Benson asked her, familiar with every excuse.

Bree nodded, but at that very moment she received a text from a very special friend. Her phone chirped, giving her away. Benson cleared his throat, smiled and held out his hand. Bree's smile faded, replaced by a look of contempt, and she pulled her precious Blackberry out of her purse, slapping Benson's hand with it as she handed it over.

"Believe me, it will be much easier to commit to the program without these unneccessary distractions."

"Oh, I'll be committed alright." Bree muttered. "To a damned mental institution."

* * *

An hour later, after settling in their rooms and changing into some clean, comfortable clothes, they were ready for a good meal. As they were seated at the retreat's only restaurant - and a very fine restaurant it was - Gabrielle leaned toward Lynette.

"I just wanted to let you know," Gabrielle whispered. "Carlos and I have already decided to stay."

"Thank you, Gabby." said Lynette, briefly squeezing her friend's hand. "That means a lot."

Once again Benson appeared, as if he'd been waiting in the wings until they were all seated and comfortable.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. How did you find your rooms? Are you pleased with your accomodations?"

Everyone nodded, genuinely impressed. Even Bree had been excited to find the glass floor panels. Their rooms were over the water, and they could see clear through the shallow water to the sandy floor, the view interrupted only by brightly colored fish swimming past without a clue they were part of a walkway.

"Splendid." said Benson. "I've brought you your itineraries for tomorrow." The host handed each couple an expensive looking book, which had a days worth of activities listed inside it. They opened them up, finding yet another unpleasant surprise.

"6 A.M.?!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Are you crazy? How do I get off this island?"

"Gabby!" Carlos whispered, pulling her back down to her seat.

"Sorry." she said. "Reflex. I make it a general rule to never wake up before 10 a.m. when I'm on vacation. Is there some way to rearrange the schedules...?"

"I'm sorry, no. As I said earlier, our resort is very exclusive, and- "

"Very popular, yadda yadda, I know." said Gabrielle, gulping down the rest of the fruity drink the waiter had brought them as a welcoming gift.

"I know it may seem difficult at first," said Benson. "But I am sure you will find that after a few sessions, your dedication and commitment to our process will lead you to a more complete and fulfilling outcome."

Bree took a deep breath. Since leaving the mainland, she'd remained almost silent.

"6 a.m. is fine." she said. "Is there a dress code for any of these activities? The yoga, for example?"

The host smiled, appreciating Bree's apparent cooperation and curiosity.

"You will be given what we like to call 'unity robes' for your counseling. As for the yoga, you may wear whatever makes you comfortable. Now, please enjoy the rest of your dinner. I must tend to the other guests."

Orson experienced a fleeting moment of hope. Bree was showing an interest in the 'process', as Benson kept putting it. It lifted his spirits, even though he could tell Bree was just going through the motions. It didn't matter; at least they'd be staying on the island.

"Uniforms?" Mike said, as if he couldn't believe it.

"Not uniforms, unity robes." Katherine corrected him. Reading from the itinerary, which came with a small guide and glossary, she explained what the idea behind them were. "They represent the concept that you and your significant other are in the same boat, having the same experience."

"Uniforms." Mike repeated. The pictures in the itinerary showed happy couples wearing an Asian inspired tunic and loose fitting pants, in deep red, blue, green and amber hues.

"Either way, I bet you'll look cute in it." said Katherine, just trying to keep him happy.


	3. The First Session

"So," said one of the counselors, a man in his late 40's. "On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your marriage?"

Bree watched him carefully. She needed clarification before giving anything away.

"On what kind of scale?" she asked.

"Any kind." said the counselor. "Your choice."

"Ten." Bree responded quickly, flashing a bright smile. "Everything's perfect."

"I see..." said the counselor. He turned to Orson, not surprised to find Orson staring right back at him, shaking his head no. "What about you, Orson? Are you at a ten right now?"

"Six years ago, this marriage was a ten. Now? There's a one and a zero, but we're hovering somewhere in between them."

"I see..." the counselor said again. He put down his notepad, and thought for a moment. "Bree, you say everything is perfect. If that's true, then why are you here?"

"I was promised a luxury spa vacation, doctor. If this is what it takes to get there, I'll sit and answer your questions, but seeing as how the only problem I have with this marriage is that I'm still _in _it, you might not like the answers I give you."

* * *

"So." said Mike and Katherine's counselor, a woman in her early 50's. "Mike, is this your first marriage?"

"It's my second." he replied. Katherine noted the sheepishness in his voice, as if it were embarrassing that his count was up to two.

"Katherine? Is this your first?"

Katherine smiled and chuckled through her teeth. "It's...my third." she said, chuckling again.

The woman nodded, and asked politely, "Would you mind telling me why your previous marriages didn't work out?"

"Well, I ran away from my first because he beat me," Katherine told her matter-of-factly. "And my second cheated on me. I wanted to work things out after that but he found out that I'd been keeping a dirty little secret of my own, so he left me for good. The trust just wasn't there anymore."

"Thank you for sharing, Katherine. That's an important part of the process, and speaking of trust, thank you for trusting me with that information." The counselor turned to Mike, and asked him why his first marriage ended. He didn't answer for a long time.

"...I don't know." he finally said. The words cut into Katherine deeply. Lately it seemed like anything he said had the power to cut her. If he didn't know how his marriage to Susan had ended, it had never truly ended at all.

* * *

Gabrielle and Carlos woke up tired, but by the time they'd arrived to their session they were happy as clams. It was hard not to be; it didn't hurt to wake up in their beautiful room and hear the ocean outside their open window.

"Hi, I'm Gabrielle, this is my husband Carlos." Gabrielle said as they took their seats.

"Lovely to meet you." said their counselor, a woman in her early 40's. "You seem very upbeat." she added.

"Should we be? Have you been outside today?" Gabrielle asked her rhetorically.

"Fair enough. It just that most couples that come here have some trepidation about being in counseling."

"We're just here to support our friends." said Carlos. "We don't really _need_ counseling. It's just part of the program so...here we are!"

Gabrielle and Carlos chuckled, wondering why their counselor wasn't chiming in.

"Well," she said with a smile. "It won't do any harm to do a little talking then, will it?"

* * *

"Why don't you tell me a little about your home life." said Lynette and Tom's counselor, a man in his late 50's. Lynette and Tom took turns describing a typical day in the Scavo household, talking about their children and their jobs and the recent sale of their restaurant. The counselor nodded and made little sounds of acknowledgement as they spoke, and Lynette noticed that he was writing a lot on his little pad of paper.

Tom was in the middle of explaining why the restaurant went under when Lynette interrupted him.

"Excuse me, what are you writing?" she asked the counselor.

"Notes." he murmured, without looking up. After he finished his last notation, he looked up at Lynette and smiled reassuringly. "Please, continue. I'm listening."

"Okay." Lynette said mildly. She turned to Tom, giving him a tight lipped smile. "Sorry."

Tom patted her knee, and asked where he'd left off.

*

Twenty minutes later, their first counseling session was almost over.

"That's our time for today." their counselor told them. He closed his notebook, and waited for them to leave. Tom made to stand up, but Lynette put her hand on his arm so he'd stay.

"How'd we do?" she asked the counselor.

"...Excuse me?"

"How'd we do? I mean, do you think we'll be okay?"

"It's only the first session." their counselor reminded them.

"I know, but if you had to say, one way or the other..."

"Lynette..." Tom said in a warning tone.

"Just give us a number, from one to ten."

"You want...a rating?" the counselor asked.

"Please."

"I don't think I can..."

"Just tell us, in your professional opinion: are we going to make it?"

"Lynette!" Tom said her name again, but she continued to stare down the man that was supposed to be helping them.

"I think you should go back to your room and prepare for whatever activity has been planned for you." the counselor suggested.

"I think you should do your job," said Lynette. "And assess this relationship as it stands today. One to ten, just throw out a number."

"Lynette, we're leaving." said Tom. "Let's go."

"Eight? Six? Two??" Lynette kept guessing as Tom pulled her away. The counselor just shook his head slowly, maintaining his calm exterior as Lynette begged him to report.

* * *

"Gabrielle, I don't know why you're so upset. She told us to be honest, so I told the truth."

They'd just left their counselor's office, and they were walking back to their room to change for couples yoga.

"When has the truth ever done anything but hurt, Carlos?"

"...Almost always?" said Carlos, as if she should already know that answer. "I thought we were over our affairs."

"So did I! So why did you bring them up in there?"

"Because she asked us if we'd ever been unfaithful."

"Couldn't we have just said we don't want to talk about it?"

"Yes, but..." Carlos paused. "Maybe I do."

They looked at each other, worried that maybe their therapy was stirring up things that would better be left alone.

"Come on." said Carlos, dropping the subject. Gabrielle's eyes had that worried look to them, and he didn't like seeing her that way. "We're going to be late for yoga."

* * *

"Why did you lie to him?" Orson asked Bree. They'd been let out a few minutes after Gabrielle and Carlos, and they had the same yoga appointment as the rest of them. Bree was a few steps ahead of him, and replied without looking back.

"Because I don't care." she said. "I want to take advantage of the amenities on this island, and they said once we complete our therapy they will be available to us. It's quite simple, Orson, I don't see what there is to be confused about."

Orson was quiet for a while after that. They'd almost made it back to their room when he said, "You really want to hurt me, don't you?"

Bree's heart felt heavy for a moment, before she shrugged off that feeling and brought the chill back to her attitude.

"If that's what it takes." she said. She quickened her pace, trying to distance herself from him before she could feel anything else. Orson slowed to a stop, and watched her walk away.

* * *

"Hey." said Mike as he and Katherine exited the quiet room and left their counselor behind. "You okay?"

_Do you even care?!_ Katherine wanted to shout. She wanted to scream it in front of everyone, to make him feel the way she felt. But she didn't. Instead, she smiled and shrugged.

"I'm fine." she said. They were silent the rest of the way back.

* * *

Lynette was still huffy after the tense moment with their counselor, and Tom had to jog to catch up with her.

"Lynette, slow down!" Tom called after her in a hushed tone. It was so quiet on the island, it felt strange raising his voice. She stopped abruptly, her arms crossed, and she avoided eye contact.

"Lynette?" Tom said carefully. "Honey? You want to tell me what happened in there?"

"I just...needed an answer." was all she could say. She was embarrassed at her loss of control.

"Why?" Tom asked, patient as ever. He could see Lynette was really upset. Her eyes were getting wet.

"I'm flipping out." she said. "I don't know if we made the right decision coming here."

"What?" Tom said softly. "You were so sure last week. What happened?"

"We've never needed counseling before. Doesn't that say something to you? And everyone that came with us is miserable..."

"Hey." said Tom, taking her shoulders gently with his hands. It made her look him in the eye, which is how he was going to ground her and make sure she knew he was there for her. "Don't worry about everyone else. Sure, we may have begged and pressured them to stay here, but they all chose to stay. Now, as for us never needing counseling before...maybe we did, and we were too busy dealing with kids and work and cancer and the restaurant to take time out for ourselves. This isn't a negative thing, remember? Coming here is positive, constructive. We're gonna get through this."

Lynette searched his eyes. She still trusted Tom, but she needed just a tiny bit more assurance.

"You believe that?" she asked.

"Yes." His voice was so sure, and so earnest. "Do you?"

Lynette nodded. "Yes." she said, vowing then and there to put aside her worries and get on with it. Tom was relieved that his little speech had actually worked. Trying to convince Lynette of anything was like pole vaulting with a candy cane.


	4. An Issue Of Trust

Bree needed her cell phone like a smoker needed cigarettes. She was jonesing for a racy text from Karl, they always made her feel special. They also made her feel a little dirty, but that was half the fun. She was standing outside of her hut, waiting for Orson since all of the couples had to arrive at the yoga session together. Katherine emerged from her own suite. She saw Bree, and Bree saw her. Knowing that she had to wait for Mike too, Bree thought Katherine might say hello, and they would finally be able to break the ice between them, but Katherine's eyes turned to stone, and she looked away. Bree felt spurned, realizing in hindsight that it was foolish that she even dared to hope. Orson finally came out, and asked if Bree was ready. She turned and started the walk to the beach without a word.

"See you over there." Katherine called out pleasantly to Orson. He turned to her and waved, then tried to catch up to Bree on the path.

"You two should really make up." Orson remarked to Bree, staying one or two steps behind her as usual.

"You don't say." Bree said dryly.

"You should re-hire her." he went on, ignoring her tone. "Since I'm no longer allowed in the test kitchen."

"And we both know why that is." said Bree, growing testy. "By week's end, there'd be no cooking utensils left. They'd all be stashed in the guest room closet."

"Ah, my kleptomania." Orson said. "We should bring that up in the therapy session."

"We can't." said Bree, stopping suddenly and turning to him. "If I start talking about it I won't be able to stop, and I'll be forced to tell our counselor and anyone that will listen about the part you played in Edie's death." Bree turned and continued walking, but not without adding quietly, "I can't send you to jail again."

"Can't? Or won't?" Orson asked. He knew he was pressing his luck and her patience, but she refused to talk in front of the counselor, and if getting her to shout was the only way to get her to talk to him in private he was willing to make the sacrifice. His bait didn't work, however.

"Can't." Bree said, her cold, breezy tone firmly back in place. "I'm too busy to testify."

"Bree-"

"Stop talking Orson. You're only making it worse."

* * *

There was a wooden platform set up on the beach, surrounded by posts tied with beautiful colored flags that blew in the gentle island breeze. On the platform stood their host Benson and two others, a man and a woman in their late 20's.

"Good morning." Benson greeted them, since it was only ten in the a.m. "These are your instructors, Tanya and Todd. They were once guests here at Sunrise Island, but with our program, they worked through their marital problems and are now licensed by the program's founder to lead this special couples yoga. Please, give yourself over to their guidance and take full advantage of their expertise."

Tom and Carlos found themselves sucking in their tummies in reaction to Todd's flawless physique and Tanya's equally perfect body. Lynette and Gabrielle noticed, and caught each other's eye so they could share a smirk.

After giving them all a speech about intimacy and oneness and the energy that should be flowing between their hearts, Tanya and Todd had everyone line up, facing the water, and they led the four couples through some easy stretches and poses. They walked amongst them, giving encouragement and corrections where they could.

"Niiice, looong extensions..." Tanya reminded them all. "Keep your arms waaaay up," she said to Mike, pushing his arms further than they were. "You want to feel it in the abs!" she added.

Katherine watched as Tanya let her hands wander to Mike's stomach, Katherine's own stomach lurching with jealousy.

"Ooh," said Tanya, as if she were about to compliment him. "Someone's been having a few too many beers! Those carbs'll getcha." she said with a cheery smile, patting his abs before moving on. Katherine's jealousy faded, replaced by much needed amusement. Mike heard her chuckle, and he turned to give her a wry look, but he was smiling too.

"You are looking good, Katherine." said Todd, coming up behind her and getting very close. She could feel him look up and down her body, and she felt his hands brush her waist. "Very good..."

The next time Katherine looked at Mike, he wasn't smiling at all. Katherine's smirk grew. Finally, some points on her side of the board.

"Orson, look at you!" Tanya said, happily surprised. "Have you done this before?"

"Once or twice." he admitted. "At home."

"HA!" Bree shouted, standing on one leg beside him, her hands in front of her stomach in a prayer-like position. "When did _you _practice yoga?"

"I watch Denise Austen when I'm bored in the mornings." he said defensively. "I happen to find her very attractive."

Bree laughed derisively, but Tanya smiled and rubbed Orson's shoulder supportively.

"Well you were obviously paying attention." Tanya said. "Which is good, because your wife needs some pointers."

Bree nearly fell over. She put her raised foot down to avoid losing her balance as her head whipped around to look at Tanya. The instructor had already moved on to another couple. Bree glanced at Orson too, and saw the big smile on his face as he looked straight ahead toward the water. Bree turned back quickly, wondering why she suddenly felt so angry about it all.

* * *

After yoga, they went back to their rooms. Each couple found on their bed a compass, a blindfold and a set of instructions.

"Only one person may carry the compass, but they will not be allowed to speak. The other must wear a blindfold, and follow the compass holder by placing one hand on their shoulder." Tom was reading the instructions out loud to Lynette.

"Do we get to choose who does what?" she asked.

"No, there are assignments on the bottom. Looks like...I'm the compass."

"And I'm blind." Lynette said, not too happy about it.

"You're not blind." Tom said, smiling. "You've got me."

*

They all had a seperate path to follow. The paths were inland, surrounded by thick tropical trees and plants.

"Alright, put your blindfold on." Gabrielle said unceremoniously.

"This has to be a joke." said Carlos. With a GPS and divine intervention Gabrielle would still find it difficult to make her way around Fairview, let alone a mysterious jungle.

"You're telling me." Gabrielle muttered, thinking more about the fact that they expected her not to talk the whole time.

*

"By using the compass, you will find all of the flags. But it is not the flags that challenge you; the compass holder must find a safe route for their blindfolded companion without being able to warn them verbally of any obstacles, and the blindfolded one must be able to trust their guide explicitly."

Bree held the blindfold in her hand as Orson read the instructions to her. _Trust_. That really wasn't a word in Bree's vocabulary at the moment.

"We should get going." she said. "We need to be at the finish line by sunset."

*

Mike and Katherine were only at the second flag after an hour of slow walking. Mike was using the compass and the direction printed on the flag to figure out which way to go when Katherine asked him a question.

"Mike...do you regret marrying me?"

Mike froze. He wasn't supposed to talk at all, but even if he was free to, how was he supposed to answer that?

"Mike?" Katherine said, gently shaking the shoulder that she held, knowing full well he wasn't allowed to answer her but hoping he'd break the rules for her anyway. She needed to know, and it didn't matter how bad the timing was, she had to know now. After a long silence, Katherine took her hand from Mike's shoulder and whipped off her blindfold.

"Answer me." she said.

"Dammit, Katherine! You're not supposed to take your blindfold off!" Mike scolded her, angrier than he should have been.

"And you're not supposed to talk. So talk."

Mike sighed, searching his mind for something Katherine would want to hear.

"No! I don't regret marrying you."

"You're lying." Katherine said, shaking her head.

"Don't start this..." Mike said, sounding exhausted.

"That's our problem, Mike. You never want to talk, it's always 'don't start this'."

"Well, we started this maze. So put your blindfold back on and let's finish it. We'll talk later."

Katherine glared at him, clutching the blindfold in her fist. She thought about storming off, going back to her room and sulking until they told her she had to leave paradise behind for not participating. But she couldn't. As much as she hated being in this situation, of not being loved the way she needed to be loved, she couldn't discount the fact that Mike was there, participating with her. That had to mean something. It was enough to keep her on the string Mike held, at least. So Katherine put on her blindfold, covering her tear-filled eyes, and went back to pretending nothing was wrong.

* * *

When Gabrielle found the first flag, she jumped up and down with excitement. Carlos laughed. He knew without looking that accomplishing this seemingly small task made her feel confident, and it made him proud of her. Of course, in the first five minutes of their trek, he had to tell her six times that she wasn't allowed to talk, but she'd finally gotten the idea, and they were officially on their way to the finish line.

"Gabby." Carlos said when he felt her slip away. "Gabby? Gabby!"

Gabrielle realized that in all her excitement, she'd gone off and left him alone. She jogged back, thinking about those years Carlos had been blind. They had this routine down after years of training. Except this time, Carlos wasn't complaining and Gabrielle wasn't bitching at him to take care of himself.

"Sorry." Gabrielle whispered under her breath, and she put his hand back on her shoulder.

* * *

"Tom, have you found the first flag yet? I notice you stopped for a while back there, I thought maybe it was because you found a flag......How long has it been since we left? This blindfold is _very _effective, I can't see a thing. Tom?....I know you can't talk, and our entire careers in advertising were based on visual and aural aids, but I'm sure somewhere in that clever brain of yours is a clue as to how to communicate without them. .....Tom?"

Tom stopped in his tracks, spun around, grabbed Lynette by the shoulders and kissed her hard on the lips. It lasted a good ten seconds, and Lynette stood absolutely still while he did it. When Tom released her lips, he waited.

"You are the only person who could ever tell me to shut up by kissing me." said Lynette. "You're the only one that could get away with it, that is."

Tom kissed her again, softly this time.

"I don't mean to ask so many questions, honey, but you're the no-voice, and I'm the no-eyes, so technically I'm allowed- "

Tom interrupted her with a third kiss.

"Mm..." Lynette murmured. "Ah. Okay. I see what you're saying. I'm allowed to talk, but I don't _have _to talk."

Tom gave her a kiss on the cheek this time, and smiled even though Lynette couldn't see it. Placing her hand on his shoulder, Tom turned back to the flag hunt.

"Does a kiss on the cheek mean 'yes'?"

At this, Tom took Lynette in his arms, dipped her and kissed her until she couldn't stop laughing.

"Okay!" she cried. "Okay okay, I'll be quiet!"

* * *

Halfway through their maze, Bree started to panic. She knew he wouldn't, he couldn't, but the doubt in Bree's mind made her think that Orson might be leading her to a secluded place so he could run away and leave her stranded with no idea where to go. She kept telling herself there was no reason to think that, since Orson was moving very slowly, preventing even the slightest missed step for blindfolded Bree. Then she realized he would be well within his rights to leave her stranded, because that was the first thing she would have thought to do if she were the one with the compass.

_Maybe I deserve to be left alone._

"Orson." Bree said urgently. "Orson wait, I'm scared."

Orson stopped. Her fingers were clutching the fabric of his shirt. She'd realized that if she let go of him for a second she'd be lost after one step. After a few moments of silence, Orson turned. Bree inhaled sharply, thinking he was leaving her.

"Orson!" she whispered, too scared to shout. He hadn't gone anywhere, she realized when he took her hand in his. He lifted it, and pressed her palm to his chest, just over his heart. The intimacy of his gesture caught Bree off guard. She hadn't allowed him to get this close in a long time. Bree felt the beat of his heart, could almost hear it as she remembered laying her head on his chest, the way she'd done after they made love, when they were happy. _I'm here._ he said without speaking. Her own heart had been racing, and this quiet moment allowed her to take a few deep breaths and calm down.

"Thank you." Bree said quietly. Orson waited until her breathing was back to normal. He held on to her hand, moving slowly as he turned back to the path, and he didn't move an inch until she'd found his shoulder again. "Okay." she said. "I'm ready."

*

"We made it." Orson said when he passed through the edge of the treeline to find they were almost back to the living quarters. He saw Benson, flanked by two island servants who took the compass and the blindfold from the couple. Bree looked around, and noticed right away that none of their friends were around. It wasn't a race, of course, but it didn't suck to be first.

"Congratulations." said Benson. "You are the first to arrive. Your counselor is awaiting you in his hut to discuss the progess you made today."

Bree left quickly, and Benson noticed that she looked quite flustered.

"Everything is alright, I hope?" he said to Orson. Orson glanced at Benson, but he had nothing to say that would make any sense to him, so he followed Bree instead.

* * *

"So, Gabrielle, had you ever used a compass before?" asked the counselor.

"Yes!" Gabrielle answered proudly. "When I was a scout leader for my girls." Gabrielle's smile faltered, becoming more of a grimace as she remembered the truth. "I was only a scout leader for a few hours that day. And my girls were only scouts for a bit longer than that."

"It sounds like you pulled through today, though." their counselor said with a smile. "Carlos, what was it like being blind again?"

"Like old times." Carlos joked. "Actually, it was very easy. Gabby barely had to direct me. It was like old times, but better."

"Were you able to trust Gabrielle when she led you?"

"Of course. I mean, it's not like we were ever in any real danger, right? The island is so small, and it's covered by your resort."

"But, if it really were a desolate jungle, would be able to trust her there?"

"....yes?" Carlos said, less sure this time. Gabrielle pouted, not sure where the counselor was going with this.

"When you were really blind, did you trust Gabrielle then?"

Carlos grew serious. "Yes." he answered. "I had to."

"Was it difficult, after the affairs?"

"Whoa, hold on a minute." said Carlos.

"Yeah, I thought we'd agreed we didn't have to talk about that anymore." said Gabrielle. "We are both committed to one another, we've forgiven each other, and we don't have trust issues."

Carlos held up one of their flags. "Second place?" he said simply.

The counselor paused for what felt like forever.

"...That's our time for today." she said.

* * *

"How did you do on the flag trail?" Bree and Orson's counselor asked the couple. He hadn't addressed either of them in particular, and Bree seemed quiet, so Orson spoke up.

"Surprisingly well."

"Surprisingly? What was surprising about it?"

"I'm not sure, I just...didn't expect to succeed as easily as we did. I know it wasn't a competition, but we did get first place."

"Good, good...Bree, was Orson a good guide?"

Bree looked up, as if she'd been caught not paying attention.

"Pardon?"

"I asked if Orson was a good guide."

Orson watched Bree. She was looking straight at the counselor, looking through him as she thought about her answer.

"Yes." she said softly.

"...Can you tell me why?"

With a deep breath, Bree snapped out of it and tried to keep her answers simple. There was only twenty minutes left to get through.

"He used the compass, he found the flags, and he stopped when I needed a break." she said, trying to sound as disinterested as possible.

The counselor nodded. "And how did he communicate with you, without his voice to help?"

Bree thought about feeling Orson's heart beating, and she realized she didn't want to share that moment with the counselor. It was private, sacred even. Worse for Bree, it would make it seem like there was something still there between them, and that was her greatest fear.

"He didn't have to." Bree lied. "I kept my hand on his shoulder the whole time." Bree felt Orson watching her, and she wondered what he was thinking...and why he wasn't contradicting her.

* * *

"What was it like not being able to have your questions answered?"

"I hated it." said Lynette. She turned to Tom, addressing him directly. "I missed hearing your voice, and it made me realize something. I've been shutting you down a lot lately, but I think it's because I'm afraid of what you'll say. I've done so many things to hurt you, and you never got to yell at me, or tell me I was wrong. And...and I feel like I don't deserve to be forgiven."

Tom was shocked. He didn't think of things that way, and he wondered if he'd given any indication that he would still feel angry about the past.

"Can you give Tom some examples, Lynette?"

"Kayla, preventing your promotion..." Lynette had to force the last one out of her mouth. "...Rick."

"Is that why you've been so distant?" asked Tom. "You think I'm still mad at you?"

"No, you're not mad at me, and that's the problem."

Tom smiled, sad that Lynette felt this way and hid it so well, but happy that she was finally opening up to him about it.

"Very good." said their counselor, quite pleased at their progress.

* * *

Mike couldn't go to the post-hike session. Something he'd eaten had made him sick, or so he claimed. They told him he'd be fine by the next morning, but Katherine was left alone in the room with their counselor.

"It's fitting, isn't it?" Katherine mused, breaking a long silence. The counselor said nothing, waiting for Katherine to explain. "Even when he's here, he's not really _here_, is he?"

"Hmm." said the counselor, remaining neutral.

Katherine clenched and unclenched her jaw. "Don't mind me." she said. "I'm just married to someone else's husband."


	5. Communication

That night, all four couples gathered for dinner again, including Mike.

"What a miraculous recovery." Katherine said sarcastically as he took his seat beside her. He gave her a look, wishing she would keep her comments to herself. Before any of them could attempt a new topic of conversation, Benson appeared.

"Good evening. I've come to make an important announcement. You will not be spending tonight with your spouses."

Bree breathed a sigh of relief. The previous night had been awkward, with no guest room or couch for Orson to occupy. She'd spent most of the night awake, worried that Orson would try to snuggle or make a pass. He hadn't even turned toward her, or made a peep the entire time. Mike was also relieved. He could feel the divide between himself and Katherine growing every day, even though she tried and tried to stay closer. Their marriage was ending and neither of them wanted to admit it. Gabrielle and Lynette, on the other hand, thought the arrangement was total crap.

"What?" Gabrielle said, eyes widening in mild despair. "I don't want to be alone!"

"It's a very important part of the program, Mrs. Solis." said Benson. "I must ask that you respect the process and trust in its ability to help you. And you won't be alone, you will be spending the night with one of your friends of the same gender."

"Can you at least tell us why?" asked Lynette. "Tom and I really made some progress today and we were looking forward to talking about it."

"Aww." Gabrielle said, leaning over Carlos to touch Lynette's wrist. Lynette smiled at Gabby, but Benson was regretful.

"While I am ecstatic to hear that Mrs. Scavo, I must say no even to that simple request. To explain the program's intricate details would be to violate its principles. What I mean by that is you shouldn't be thinking about why. Just take in the experiences the program is providing for you and learn from your feelings."

Lynette and Tom smiled sadly at each other, knowing they would miss each other that night.

"Does he even know what ecstatic means?" Gabrielle whispered to Carlos.

* * *

They were moved to different, temporary rooms down the path from the regular suites, guys with guys and ladies with ladies. They all went to bed early, tired from their long day.

"Two therapy sessions, a three hour hike and yoga. Why does this vacation feel like a labor camp?" Mike was venting to Orson as they brushed their teeth before bed.

"They're certainly keeping us busy." Orson agreed. Mike heard a different kind of exhaustion in Orson's voice, an emotional one. One that Mike had become very familiar with lately.

"How are you and Bree doing?" Mike asked. "She seems..."

"More uptight than usual?" offered Orson.

"...No offense."

"None taken." Orson said lightly. "It's not as if she tries to hide it anymore." He stared into space, and decided to admit something scary. "She wants a divorce."

Mike froze. "...Oh." he said. It was the first he'd heard of it, but it sure made sense now that he knew.

"How did you know it was over with Susan?" Orson asked. "Was it a sudden realization, or did it happen over time?"

"Oh, buddy...that is the million dollar question." said Mike, not sure where to start.

"You don't have to answer."

"No, it's fine..."

"It's just..." said Orson. "I've been holding on for so long, not letting her go, and I'm starting to wonder whether I'm doing the right thing."

"I wish I could answer you," said Mike. "But I really don't know. I was never sure about divorcing Susan. It just kind of...happened."

Orson pondered that thought. He'd never felt that way about Bree, no matter how upset he got. The thought of really leaving her had never been an option. Then again, they hadn't gone through what Mike and Susan had gone through.

"Katherine asked me today if I regretted marrying her." Mike admitted out of the blue.

"Oh dear."

"I hesitated, Orson. I actually had to think about it. I said no eventually, but then she told me I was lying and...I don't know, maybe she was right. I feel awful, but in a way I think getting married again was the wrong decision."

Orson already knew that of course. Everyone did, but out of respect for their friends (and fear of Katherine's wrath) no one had ever said it to their faces.

"You want to hear something terrible?" Mike asked.

"Why not?" Orson said with a shrug.

Mike stared out the window and let out a heavy sigh. "I wish I was here with Susan."

Orson's eyebrows shot up. "You're right." he said. "That is terrible. But it's the truth. You can't help the way you feel. Maybe you should tell Katherine? Or bring it up in your sessions?"

"It would destroy Katherine. She's really trying."

"But if her efforts aren't going to get you anywhere, won't it destroy her eventually anyway? There's no time like the present."

"Yeahhh..." Mike said, not sure if he agreed.

* * *

"Tell me about your progress." Gabrielle said happily when Lynette emerged from their shared bathroom. Lynette smiled, and sat on her bed across from Gabrielle.

"I finally realized what was wrong." said Lynette, and she filled Gabrielle in on the details.

"I'm so happy it's working out for you." Gabrielle said.

"Now tell me about you and Carlos. Is the counseling really that bad?"

"No!" said Gabrielle. "Although, our counselor seems really obsessed with giving us issues that we don't have. She keeps bringing up the affairs, like it's any of her business. We keep telling her we don't want to talk about it."

Lynette nodded. "But...do you?"

"Well, _I_ don't. Carlos said something this morning, but...whatever, we're over it. I'm just so proud of you and Tom!"

* * *

Tom laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Carlos, on the other bed, was doing the same.

"We should get the band back together." Tom said randomly.

"Hm." murmured Carlos, thinkin' about it.

"Now that you can see, you could play the drums."

"I could."

"And we could get some really hot female back up singers." Tom said with a grin.

"Annnd, how would we explain that to our wives?" asked Carlos.

Tom chuckled. "We wouldn't. We could just...hide them until a gig popped up."

"Great idea." Carlos said, deadpan. "Let's get on that right away."

Tom laughed again. "G'night, buddy."

"Good night."

* * *

Bree was in bed before Katherine even got there. She couldn't sleep, and she was in a rare state - she really needed to talk to someone. Bree laid on her side, her back to the room, and listened as Katherine got ready for bed. Finally she heard Katherine climb into bed across the room and settle in for a good sleep. Bree turned her head, and saw Katherine's small blanketed frame, a dark shadow in the moonlight.

"Good night, Katherine."

She knew Katherine was still awake, so the silence that followed meant Katherine was ignoring her. Bree waited a long time before turning back and setting her head back down on her pillow.

*

An hour later, Bree was still awake. She was sick of thinking, and she needed a distraction. She got out of bed and resolved to find a telephone. They had to have a landline somewhere on the island, and fifteen minutes of stealthy searching later, Bree's resolve was rewarded. Nothing was locked, so it was easy to sneak into the resort's main office and find the phone tucked away on the director's desk. Quickly, Bree dialed Karl's number, wondering if he'd be in bed, awake and thinking of her. It was 2 a.m. where he was.

It rang twice, and then there was the sound of the line opening.

"Hello?" a girl's voice came through clearly. Then the bitch giggled. "Who's Bree?" she asked teasingly, her voice far away like she was holding the phone away from her face while she checked the caller ID.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Bree could hear Karl in the background, his voice getting closer as he intercepted the call. "Bree!" he said, obviously surprised to hear from her.

Bree was quiet for a long time, fuming.

"Who is she?" she asked eventually, not wasting time asking about what she already knew.

Karl sighed. "Bree..."

"Goodbye, Karl." said Bree, before hanging up on him in an attempt to preserve what little dignity she had left. She'd been dragged through the jungle by the man she so desperately wanted to get away from, and now she'd been betrayed by the man she'd been preparing to jump into a relationship with. Bree regretted hanging up on him then, wishing she still had a chance to tell Karl all the ways he'd messed up and everything he'd be missing now that he'd picked some stupid young slut over her, but at that point, calling him back would just seem pathetic. Bree's number one priority now was convincing herself she didn't care. It was difficult with the tears streaming down her cheeks, reminding her.

* * *

Katherine woke up when Bree came back to their room. As much as Bree tried to hide it, Katherine could tell she was upset. She knew what it was like to cry in silence.

"Bree? What's wrong?" Katherine asked softly.

"Nothing." said Bree. "Go back to sleep."

"Bree." Katherine said again, not taking no for an answer. "What's wrong?"

Bree was crying again, too hard to respond. The silence of it put a lump in Katherine's throat.

"Tell me." she said, pushing blankets aside. She stood, crossed over to Bree's bed, and sat next to her in the dark.

"No." said Bree, the word coming out in a sob. "You hate me enough already."

"I don't hate you." said Katherine. She put her arm around Bree's shoulders.

"You should. You all should." Bree whispered.

The next morning, Bree would wonder why she'd gotten so upset. In the daylight it was easier to be cold and content, pretending nothing was wrong, but in the night time, when she had time to think about the truth and how lonely she truly was, emotions surfaced that she had to let out. So she put her head on Katherine's shoulder and Katherine hugged her, and for a few hours they were best friends again.

* * * * *

After another early morning therapy session in which Katherine and Mike continued to pretend, Gabrielle and Carlos continued to side step, and Tom and Lynette continued to make progress, Orson caught up with Katherine before they all made their way to the next yoga session.

"Hi, Orson." Katherine greeted him with a smile when she saw him walking up the path to the suite she shared with Mike.

"Can I ask you a question?" said Orson. "It's about Bree."

"Uhm...okay..." Katherine said slowly. She was suspicious, because if she knew Bree at all, she was sure last night's crying wouldn't have come up in the couples counseling session.

"Did she say anything to you last night?" Orson went on. "Or, did you say something to her?"

"About what?" Katherine asked, even though she and Bree hadn't really spoken about anything at all. The answer to Orson's question was a simple no, but Katherine sensed Orson knew something was wrong anyway.

"About anything." said Orson.

"Sorry, no. We still aren't really speaking."

"Ah."

"Just a quiet night of ignoring each other and pretending we've never met."

"I see." said Orson. "It's just..." He briefly contemplated sharing his worries with Katherine. "Nevermind." he said instead, turning to go.

"Orson, what's wrong?"

Orson sighed. "For months now, she's been nothing but cold when she's around me. I'd gotten so used to it that today I could tell something else was wrong. She wasn't just cold, she was..."

"Depressed?"

"Devastated."

Katherine thought about that distinction, remembering how hard Bree had sobbed on her shoulder the night before. As angry as Katherine still was at Bree, she still felt that sisterhood they shared. She couldn't rat her out, not even to Orson, not if she was feeling that bad about her secrets. So Katherine played dumb, using their estrangement as an excuse as to why she had no idea why Bree would be acting that way. Orson said thanks, anyway, and told her not to worry about it.

"But..." Katherine said suddenly as he turned to go. "Orson?"

Orson looked at her expectantly.

"Don't give up on her."

Orson smiled, sadly and appreciatively. "Never." he said.

* * *

At the beach, on the yoga platform, Mike could tell right away what Katherine was doing. Smiling, flirting, asking Todd for help and advice for the simplest poses. She was trying to make him jealous, and Mike didn't know how but it was actually working.

"Hey, Todd." Mike called out. He got the instructors attention but he certainly couldn't ask Todd to help him. "Uh, I think Orson needs your help."

"Thanks Mike, but Tanya just answered my question." Orson replied, oblivious to Mike's real issue.

"Mike," said Katherine. "If you don't like seeing another man touching me, you can say so."

"Fine, I don't like another man touching you." Mike said. Todd backed off immediately, and Katherine smiled smugly.

"There. Was that so hard?"

"This is good!" said Todd. "Communication!"

"Yeah," Mike said. "Just quit communicating with my wife's ass, okay?"

"Funny." said Katherine. "I only feel like _your _wife when you want to claim ownership. Usually you want nothing to do with me."

Everyone could feel the tension building. It made it difficult to concentrate on clearing the mind of worry and doing their yoga poses.

"Kath, don't start..."

"But I thought communication was good! Right, Todd?"

"Well," Todd said, backtracking. "Actually, this is one of those 'quiet times of reflection' Benson told you about..."

"Katherine." Mike said warningly.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." she said nonchalantly. "I don't want to cause a scene. Not in front of all of Susan's friends."

Everyone, even Todd and Tanya, stopped what they were doing and looked at Mike and Katherine. Mike stared at Katherine, wondering what the hell was wrong with her. Then he noticed everyone else watching them, and he knew they'd ruined the session.

"I think I pulled something." Mike murmured, putting a hand to his lower back. He left the platform, and Katherine fumed as she watched him walk away yet again. She went back to stretching and pretending nothing was wrong. No one else could think of an alternative, so they followed suit and continued with their yoga.

"...Don't forget to breathe." Tanya said quietly.

* * *

"You look beautiful today." Orson said as they were walking back to the suites. "Your hair, in the sunlight. There's really nothing like it."

"Stop that." Bree said, emotionless.

"Stop what?"

"Just stop it."

"Complimenting you? I can't help it, Bree. I love you, and you won't let me express it any other way."

"Why couldn't you have been like this a year ago?" Bree asked. "Instead of stealing you could have been praising me on my color coordination."

"I was still angry at you then. I'm not angry anymore."

"Well you played your I've-been-to-jail card one too many times, Orson. Now I'm angry at _you_, and it's over."

"It doesn't have to be over, Bree. There's no one else for me. I look at Mike and Katherine and I think, what a shame, but it was doomed from the start. There will always be someone else coming between them. There's no one between us, is there?"

There had been of course, and Bree's eyes betrayed that fact. She felt a wave of shame as she remembered hearing another woman's voice answer Karl's phone, when she'd realized how big a mistake she'd almost made. Orson could see a reaction register on her face, and his heart broke a little more.

"No." said Bree, denying it anyway since Karl was no longer between them after all.. "There's no one else. But I'd rather be alone than with you."

_It hurts too much to be with you right now._ she should have added. But that would have meant she still cared.


	6. A Little Bit Of Truth

Benson appeared as the couples gathered for another skill building task. They'd been told to dress in comfortable clothing appropriate for a hike, but the hike had been cancelled.

"The next item on your itineraries, I'm sorry to say, has been postponed." Benson said.

"Finally, a break." Mike muttered.

"Mmmno," said Benson. "You are to go directly to your counseling session. After speaking with Todd and Tanya, our program's founder thought it best."

While Mike and Katherine's cheeks blushed red, Carlos asked Benson something that everyone had been wondering.

"Who is this program founder you keep mentioning?"

"Yeah, can we meet him? To thank him for this wonderfully grueling week?" Tom joked.

Benson regarded them warily, thinking about it for a moment. "He is a very busy man...but you will see him at some point I'm sure, when the time is right."

Tom shrugged, but then his face lit up. "You know who you remind me of?" Tom exclaimed. "The host of a murder mystery dinner party!"

Gabrielle gasped and grinned, giving Tom a congratulatory slap on the arm like she'd been trying to find the same words to describe Benson all along. Benson stared at Tom.

"I'm just saying," Tom continued. "You'd be a natural."

"I'll...take that as a compliment." said Benson, as dry as ever.

* * *

Bree sat, sullen, beside Orson. Their counselor had no other duty that week than to counsel his one assigned couple, so the success of the program was very important to him. He wanted to know what Bree's problem was.

"Bree. Why won't you talk to Orson?"

"Because I don't care."

"I don't believe that. If you don't care, then why are you here?"

"Because I wanted a vacation."

"You could have vacationed anywhere." the counselor countered. "If your business is as successful as you claim it to be. So why are you here? Why with Orson?"

"It wasn't just with Orson, the discount was for my friends."

"They could have found someone else. Maybe, like me, they sensed you did still really care."

Bree smiled defiantly, having none of it. "You're not going to break me." she declared smugly.

"It's not about breaking you, Bree. I'm only trying to help."

"You'll be paid either way, won't you? Whether you help us or not."

"Actually...I'm not paid at all. I'm on vacation too. The work I do here is pro bono, and I care very deeply about the outcome of every relationship I counsel."

Bree's smile faltered for a second. "Fine. Since you seem to know so much about how I'm feeling, why don't _you _tell _me _what my problem is?"

The counselor looked at Bree, eyes narrrowing at her challenge. "I think you cheated on Orson, and the man you'd taken up with recently betrayed you. Now you're too scared to leave the marriage you've been trying to get out of because now you have nowhere to go."

Bree's smugness was gone. The counselor, by some bizarre coincidence, had pegged her anxieties exactly. She turned pale, and she knew after reacting this way there would be no denying it any longer. On the other side of the couch, Orson was shell shocked, staring at Bree and wishing he hadn't seen her face change the way it had. He was still trying to make sense of the counselor's explanation as well as why Bree wasn't denying any of it. Bree seemed to regain control, snapping back to reality a few seconds too late. Her own shock quickly turned to anger. She stood suddenly, glaring at the counselor.

"I will not sit here and listen to this..._quack _tell me what I'm feeling." she announced to Orson, even though she couldn't look at him. She stormed out, leaving Orson to stare at the counselor alone.

"How did you know?" Orson asked darkly.

The counselor looked a bit shocked himself. "I...I didn't. I was guessing. I was just trying to get her angry enough to talk!"

"Well." Orson said, standing slowly. He had no wish to catch up to Bree anytime soon. "I guess she didn't have to."

* * *

Down the path, another shocking revelation was about to take place. Mike took a deep breath, knowing that this was it. He knew this would be the end of Mike and Katherine. "I wish..." he said, turning away from Katherine when he saw the hope in her eyes. He couldn't say it to her face. He looked at the counselor instead, making his confession. "I wish I was here with Susan."

This is it, thought Katherine. There was no going back now. He'd made his choice. Still, it didn't feel good, or freeing. It just felt incredibly sad. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Katherine stood and walked to the door.

"Mrs. Delfino - !" the counselor called after her, wanting her to stay and talk it out.

"Don't call me that!" Katherine snapped as she walked away.

"Let her go." Mike said, sitting back on the couch and sighing. "There's nothing left to talk about."

*

Katherine broke into a jog on her way to the suite, and she almost ran right into Orson. He caught her in his arms, and up close he saw tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I'm going to Sunset Island." she told him, pouting defiantly lest he try to stop her. "I'm going to Sunset Island, and I'm going to drink and dance until I can't even remember his name."

Orson didn't try to stop her. He barely reacted, other than to ask her:

"Can I come with you?"

* * *

"And how did that make you feel? Seeing Mike and Katherine fighting about feelings of jealousy?"

"Um...uncomfortable..." said Gabrielle. "Kind of annoyed...I mean, this is why I do yoga alone, on my porch." she added with a laugh. Once again, the counselor did not laugh with her. Instead, the counselor turned to her husband.

"Carlos?"

Carlos had his eyes narrowed at the woman. Gabrielle looked from her husband to the counselor and back again.

"I know where you're going with this." Carlos said. "And I'm gonna say....screw it. Let's share. I still worry sometimes that Gabrielle will cheat on me again."

Gabrielle's jaw dropped. The counselor smiled at Carlos.

"That's good, Carlos. Gabrielle, your turn."

"No!" Gabrielle said. "You don't get to do that, we said no affair talk!"

"Sorry, Gabby, I had to say it."

"Fine." said Gabrielle. "You hooking up with Edie was the worst thing you've ever done to me."

"That wasn't an affair, you were with Victor! How do you think that made _me _feel?"

"Appropriately awful! Does the name Xiao Mei ring any bells?"

"Which of course brings us back to John Rowland."

"Which brings us back to square one!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "I don't like square one, Carlos! It's embarrassing, and painful, and we are so beyond it. We're at square...five thousand now!"

"The affairs may be history, but Carlos' jealousy is not." the counselor reminded Gabrielle.

"But I _like _his jealousy." Gabrielle argued. "That's how I know he still cares."

"What if he wants to change?"

"He can't. And even if he could, I won't let him. Watch this." Gabrielle turned to Carlos and looked him in the eye. "Benson was checking me out this morning."

"Gabby...I'm pretty sure Benson is gay."

"What about Todd? You saw how he was touching all the girls. He pinched my butt."

"Bull."

"You don't believe me?!"

"If it happened you would have told me already! Unless you enjoyed it..." Carlos trailed off with a frown. Gabrielle smiled. "See?" she said to the counselor, as if it were perfectly healthy.

* * *

"This just feels so good, getting it all out in the open like this!" said Lynette.

"I'm glad to hear that!" said her counselor.

That was ten minutes before all hell broke loose. It started slowly, as they got deeper and deeper into their confessions. Before they knew it they were bringing up the ancient past, trying to assign blame instead of sharing feelings.

"If we hadn't had to fire him, he wouldn't have opened his own restaurant, which almost put us out of business before it burned down, which we still never recovered from because of the bad press and - "

"Rick's restaurant wouldn't have burned down if that woman's demon spawn hadn't told our twins to torch it!"

"Demon spawn?! Okay, obviously this was a mistake." said Tom.

"Tom, I know she was your daughter, but it's not as if you ever became close."

"Why is that, Lynette? Is it because her mom was gunned down and she knew you didn't give a crap about her?"

"I tried! You know I tried."

"Her mother was dead! Trying wasn't good enough!"

Lynette froze. "Oh my god." she said, her voice leaving her as she became emotional. "Oh my god, you still blame me."

Tom looked away from her. He'd lost his temper, and he regretted saying what he did, but she'd attacked him first.

"You knew how guilty I felt after that day." Lynette went on, her voice so high because she was trying to keep from crying. "The only comfort I had was knowing you didn't blame me."

"I don't blame you."

"You miss her, though."

"Kayla? Of course I do."

"No, Nora. You miss Nora."

Tom was quiet, silence building, until he said "She was a nice girl, Lynette. I know why you didn't get along with her, but she was always nice to me. And she was the mother of my first child, a child I don't get to see anymore because her mother died and she couldn't handle being around you. So yes, I miss Nora. Sometimes."

Lynette covered her face with her hands and started to cry. "I'm sorry." she squeaked. "I can't do this anymore."

* * *

No one was talking to each other before dinner. Gabrielle and Lynette walked next to each other, silent, with Tom and Carlos behind them as they made their way to the restaurant. Added to their misery was the knowledge that their dinner companions would probably be even more mopey than they were. When they entered the dining area, however, they found not four but only two of their friends. Bree and Mike sat across from each other, and yet they sat alone without their spouses beside them.

"Where are Katherine and Orson?" Lynette asked right away. She had no patience left, and she didn't like the looks Bree and Mike had on their faces - sullen, guilty looks, as if they'd been called to the principal's office for disrupting class.

Mike shrugged. Bree looked down and sipped her water.

"Ya don't know?" Gabrielle said, repeating Mike's shrug back to him verbally. "You're all aware that the chef won't serve us unless our entire party is present, right?"

"How do you not know where they are?" said Lynette, the tension in her voice equal to Gabby's. "Where have you been all afternoon?"

"Look," said Mike. "Our last sessions with the counselor didn't go so well. I think Katherine just needed some time to herself."

"So you let her disappear?" asked Gabrielle. She turned to Bree. "What about Orson?"

Bree looked up, but only for a moment. None of them had any idea what she was going through, and her behavior wasn't just confusing them - it was starting to piss them off.

"What, you're not talking to _us _anymore either?" Gabrielle said, temper rising.

"Gabby." Carlos said quietly.

"No, I'm sick of their attitude!" she said loudly, pouting at Bree and Mike. They said nothing to defend themselves. "Well if you aren't going to look for them, I guess we'll have to. Come on, Lynette."

Lynette looked at Bree and Mike with a similar regard, and then turned to Tom and Carlos.

"Why don't you guys stay here. We'll be back as soon as we can."

*

Gabrielle and Lynette hot-footed it back to their suites, barging into Mike and Katherine's room first.

"As far as I can tell, all her stuff is still here." said Lynette. "She hasn't left the island, at least."

Gabrielle left Lynette to keep looking for clues, walking down the short path to Bree and Orson's room.

"Lynette!" Gabrielle shouted harshly not too long after that. Lynette jogged to meet her. When Lynette entered the room, she saw Gabrielle holding a hand written note.

"Lynette, Tom: I'm sorry." Gabrielle read aloud. "It seems the rift between Bree and I is beyond repair. We could no longer lie to our counselor, and the same goes for Katherine and Mike. We've left Sunrise Island to find a more welcoming place. We don't belong in a place for couples." Gabrielle's shoulders sagged as she lowered the note to her side and looked at Lynette. "Rip my heart out, why don't you." she said quietly.

"So they did leave the island..." Lynette said slowly.

"But not the resort itself." said Gabrielle, puzzled.

"...Sunset Island!" They said in unison.

*

Mike and Bree looked up when Lynette and Gabrielle stalked back into the dining room. They looked up at them, almost hopeful, but the blonde and the brunette hadn't returned with company.

"We're going to Sunset Island!" Gabrielle declared with mock excitement. Her body language shifted quickly back to pissed, and Tom, Carlos, Bree and Mike all looked on in confusion. "According to this _note_," Gabrielle went on. "Orson and Katherine felt they didn't _belong_ here with the _couples_ because Bree and Mike are _stupid_ and made them _feel_ bad."

"They call us stupid in the note?" asked Mike.

"No!" said Gabrielle. "But it's obviously your fault, if they're gone and you're just sitting there like it doesn't matter!"

"They went there together?" Bree asked. She was suspicious, having witnessed how friendly Orson and Katherine had gotten lately. It was paranoia; she'd been straying, and she was afraid that Orson would want to get his revenge.

"It's fine if you don't want to tell us why," said Lynette. "We get it - you two didn't want to come here in the first place. But we have to find them, _tonight_. If we show up without them tomorrow morning, they'll kick us out. All of us."

"Yeah, and what if they got lost, or hurt?" said Gabrielle. "You heard Benson, Sunset is strictly forbidden. It's not like there's a ferry you can take. They probably stole a canoe and paddled there in the dark!"

"...Which...is...what we're going to have to do." Lynette added, nodding slowly as it sunk in.

*

Benson watched their discussion from the kitchen. Two of their party were missing, and it was no surprise to him which ones. He waited a few seconds, then walked over to them.

"Is everything...alright?" asked Benson as he grew near. The four standing next the table turned, startled.

"Everything's fine!" Gabrielle said, smiling brightly.

When Benson turned to look at Mike and Bree, Gabrielle and Lynette gave them severe warning looks over his shoulder.

"Mrs. Delfino and Mr. Hodge will be joining you soon, won't they?" Benson asked them.

"Katherine's not feeling well." Mike said, sticking with his original story. "She probably got what I had yesterday."

_Yeah, the urge to flee_ the rest of them thought in unison. Benson turned to Bree. She looked like she was about to spill the beans, but behind Benson's head, Gabrielle, Lynette, Carlos and Tom all pleaded silently with her to make something up and give them some time to look for Orson and Katherine.

"Orson's just taking a little nap." said Bree. "That's his routine at home, an afternoon nap. It keeps the grumpies away." she added a tinkling laugh at the end of her lie, and she hoped it would help sell it to Benson. He watched her closely, as if he didn't believe a word of it, but he smiled eventually. Everyone exhaled, relieved.

"Well." said Benson. "I'll leave you all to it then."

Gabrielle watched Benson go, making sure he was still within ear shot when she all but shouted:

"Gosh, I'm still full from lunch. I don't know about you guys, but I don't think I could eat dinner even if Katherine and Orson _weren't_ in their rooms just taking a nap."

Benson stopped, and slowly turned around to look at them.

"Yeah," Tom chimed in. "I'm still stuffed."

Carlos yawned loudly. "I'm tired, too. Like Orson."

With eyebrows raised just so, Benson turned and kept walking, going to stand by the maitre'd. Mike rolled his eyes at their obvious behavior, getting up from his seat when Bree did. They all filed out, Gabrielle and Carlos in the lead followed by Lynette and Tom. They passed Benson on their way to the door, and he received nervous smiles from these first four. Mike walked by next with his head bowed, looking very frustrated. Bree was the last. She looked ashamed, having been put in her place by Gabrielle's accusation. Benson put his arm out, touching Bree gently on the elbow as she passed. Bree froze, taken by surprise. Benson looked her in the eye, and Bree felt even more exposed.

"Have a good night." Benson said cryptically. Bree wasn't sure what he meant, and she was sure she only felt nervous because of the situation and the lies they told. It was like he knew what they were up to, but didn't want to get them in trouble. Plus, Benson was just naturally kind of creepy, so there was that too. Bree broke eye contact, tucked her hair behind her ear and awkwardly pulled away from Benson's gentle yet strangely intimate grasp.


	7. Sunset Island

_To answer a reader question: No, Lynette is not pregnant in this fic, her eggs are free and clear to enjoy this 'vacation' too! :D_

* * *

Katherine and Orson had indeed found a canoe on the beach, and they'd rowed over to Sunset Island in the dark. One of the great things about Sunset though, aside from from the many hot young men and women fueled by alcohol and unbridled lust, was that every night was treated as the best. party. ever. Music blasting, neon lights flashing, Sunset Island was not hard to find at all.

"First thing's first." said Katherine, after dragging the canoe onto the beach with Orson's help. "Let's get drunk."

The beach itself was dark, the less developed side of the island, but they could hear the bass thumping on the other side of a large stand of trees. Katherine walked straight toward the black jungle.

"Katherine, wait." Orson said protectively. "What if you get lost?"

"You mean, what if _we_ get lost. Didn't you ask to come along? Don't wuss out on me now."

Orson looked at her, unsure. He was still devastated by losing Bree. Katherine walked back to him, until he could see her eyes in the moonlight.

"What happened in your session, Orson? Why wasn't Bree with you when you walked out?"

Orson's brown eyes held nothing but sadness. He didn't respond.

"Mike told me he wished he was here with Susan." Katherine told him. She put her hand to Orson's face, trying to erase the frown there. "I have nothing to lose. No one's going to miss me, whether I get lost or if I make it to the party. I can tell that whatever's going on with Bree, she's made you feel the same way. So come on." Katherine took her hand from his cheek, and put it in his hand. "Let's go get lost together."

Katherine tugged. Orson resisted at first, but he knew she was right. He didn't have anything to go back to on Sunrise or at home. Hand in hand, they walked toward the trees.

*

"Guys! Over here!" Tom whispered. He'd found three canoes sitting on the beach that faced Sunset Island. Across the water, blue, pink and green spot lights twirled across the sky in figure eight patterns. When they listened closely, they could hear the dance music over the sound of the ocean.

* * *

"WOOO!" Katherine screamed at the top of her lungs. She'd just downed her fifth shot of tequila, and she was just getting started. Orson was standing next to her at the bar, looking worried. Katherine knew that was only because he was still sober.

"Hey!" Katherine shouted over the loud music. "If you're not going to drink with me, then I'm going to go dance! No more pity parties for Katherine!"

Orson sighed as Katherine danced her way to a crowd of 20 and 30-somethings. Maybe he was being a party pooper, he thought.

"What'll it be?" the bartender shouted.

"Give him a Red Headed Slut!" someone else shouted. Orson turned, and saw a beautiful, young girl smiling at him. She had red hair; not like Bree's. It was _red_, like a fire truck.

"Thanks, but I've already got one of those." Orson muttered in response to her suggestion.

"What?" The girl shouted. The music was way too loud. The bartender had already made the shot, and he slammed it on the bar in front of Orson.

"Drink it!" the girl shouted happily. From the corner of his eye, Orson saw Katherine on the dance floor. He did a double take when he saw Katherine give him a thumbs up and a wink. "Drink it, drink it, drink it!" the girl chanted. Orson shook his head, laughed at himself, and drank the shot in one gulp. It was sweet, with just a little bitter, and it felt good going down. "Yaaay!" the girl cheered, laughing. "My name is Candace, what's yours?"

"Orson." he said, motioning to the bartender for another shot. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one, it was my birthday yesterday, woooo!"

"Oh, good lord..." Orson muttered.

"How old are you?" Candace asked, emphasis on _youuu_ to make it flirty.

"Way, way too old for you."

"Nooo, I like older men! And you look so sad, I want to cheer you up!"

"Candace..."

"Call me Candy." she said, sliding up next to Orson and slipping her hands around his waist.

"Candy!" Orson said, taking her hands gingerly from his body. "Go find someone born after 1980."

Candace pouted, but Orson was already walking away.

*

"Ohmigod, look at youuu!" someone next to Katherine shouted. A group of 20-something-year-old girls were admiring Katherine's...spirit. Katherine, drink in hand, was dancing by herself in the middle of the floor.

"Rawrrr!" one of the girls growled sexily. "Total cougar, I love it! Work it, girl!"

Katherine was too drunk to be insulted by the comments. She took pride in it; sure, in a way they were calling her old, but it didn't matter how old you were when you were sexy. That's how Katherine felt when she saw some younger men staring at her from the bar. _Rawrr_ she thought. Then she saw Orson walking away from the slutty redhead that was trying to get into his pants.

"Girls!" Katherine shouted to her new BFF's. "Get that sad old man on the dance floor, _now_!"

The girls all cheered and bounced after Orson.

* * *

Meanwhile, off the shores of Sunrise Island, three pairs of very frustrated people were struggling to get their canoes through the water. Communication had broken down between all the couples, and Mike and Bree were all but silent, stuck together by default.

"Would you just stop paddling?" Lynette snapped. "You're not helping at all!"

"If I stop paddling, you'll tip us over!" Tom shot back.

"Ohhh GOD, I'm so hungry!" Gabrielle wailed.

When they finally landed on Sunset Island, on the same dark beach that Katherine and Orson had come upon, the guys were as done with the girls as the girls were with the guys.

"Everybody, shut up!" Gabrielle shouted. "Or, stay quiet." she added for Mike and Bree's benefit. "Lynette, Bree and I are going to look for Katherine. You three, go find Orson."

"Sounds good to me." Tom said tersely. He looked at Lynette, who gave him a look before turning and walking away with Gabrielle. Bree followed them.

"Shouldn't we stick together?" Mike suggested a little too late as the girls disappeared between the trees.

"Look who's talking now," Tom said sarcastically. "The guy who drove his own wife to a single's resort."

"Hey, you're the one that dragged us all out here!" Mike replied, anger rising.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen." Carlos soothed them. "We're all friends, here. Let's not forget the real problem."

"What, our wives?" Tom said sarcastically.

"Exactly." said Carlos. They purposefully took a different path than the ladies, in the hopes that they wouldn't have to cross paths with them soon.

*

"Ugh, I can't believe it! He brought up John Rowland!" said Gabrielle.

"I'm sorry I brought us all here." said Lynette.

"Oh sweetie, it's not your fault."

"Oh, it's my fault alright. It's _all_ my fault. Everything. Nora's death, Kayla's absence, the restaurant closing, and now you're pissed at Carlos, Katherine is going to leave Mike and Bree is catatonic."

Gabrielle glanced behind them. "Seriously, Bree. Could ya say something? You're really creeping us out."

Lynette and Gabrielle both stopped and turned around, catching Bree off guard. She stopped too, and stared at them, waiting for them to move on. After a short stand off, Bree took a deep breath, and in classic Bree fashion when she was backed up against the wall, she laid it all out in plain, polite English.

"I was trying to divorce Orson, I hired Karl Mayer, and then I made out with Karl Mayer, but it's over and Orson found out and now he hates me and I'll be left with nothing, not even the house. Happy?"

Lynette and Gabrielle continued to stare at Bree, though it was now with shock instead of frustration. Bree began walking, passing between them without a second glance.

* * *

Orson had never been one of the cool kids, but he liked to dance when the right music was on. The right music was definitely not on at Club Sunset, not for his generation, but the beers and shots that had been purchased for him by the party girls that now surrounded him on the dance floor more than made up for it. Katherine laughed, feeling happy for the first time in months, as she watched an Orson sandwich being formed. It was actually more like Orson Jello, with a mass of jiggling girls surrounding him as if he was a peice of suspended fruit.

Katherine had a boy toy of her own, a very attentive young fellow that kept the drinks coming and kept every other guy that approached away from Katherine. She twirled in place to the music, enjoying the attention, but on her second rotation she saw, on the other side of the pool bar, Carlos on Tom. It put a frown on her face. She was turned towards her boy toy again - she didn't even know his name - and she was faced with a decision. This was her night out, her first night of freedom. She didn't want to see Mike or any of his friends, but there was part of her, still hurt, that needed to know if he'd come after her when she ran away. So Katherine turned to look, just so she would know.

There he was, searching the dance floor. Katherine caught his eye and looked away quickly. She faked a smile, getting closer to Drink Boy and putting his hands on her waist. Mike would be jealous, she thought. He wanted Susan, but he was still a traditional guy, and he wouldn't like the idea of another man touching his wife, let alone the sight of it. Katherine was smug, but when she saw Mike walking over to them with a pissed off expression she changed her mind. For months, she'd begged Mike to talk. Now she couldn't face him.

"I have to go, I'm sorry." she yelled over the music. She didn't wait for an answer from Drink Boy. She turned and walked in the opposite direction that Mike was coming from, looking over her shoulder once to make sure he wasn't following too close. Before she had a chance to turn back, she bumped into someone, hard. "Oh!" They exclaimed, both Katherine and the stranger. When Katherine looked up to apologize, she saw it was not a stranger at all, but her ex-husband Adam. They stared at each other, dumbfounded, until Katherine spoke.

"Hide me." she said at normal volume. Adam read her lips, and more importantly her facial expression, which also screamed _HELP_. Without another word, Adam put his arm around Katherine's shoulders and they ducked out of the club together.

*

Adam led her by the hand to a quieter place, a tree-lined path just like the one that connected all the suites on the couples island.

"What are you doing here?" Adam asked as they walked briskly along. "I thought you were married?"

"I was. Surprise, surprise, it didn't work out." Katherine said sarcastically.

"Since when?"

"Is it past midnight?"

"Yeah."

"Since yesterday."

Katherine stopped walking, tugging on Adam's hand so he would stop too. He spun around to face her, and she kissed him on the lips before he could say anything else. They wrapped their arms around each other, frenching the way only drunk exes could. When they came up for air, Katherine stayed close in his arms and whispered:

"Take me to your room."

They ran the rest of the way.

* * *

Carlos and Tom ordered drinks at the bar, telling each other they deserved it - no, they _needed_ it - before starting the search for Orson. Mike joined them, ordering a beer for himself as he took a seat next to them.

"I thought I saw her, but...I don't know, it's like she disappeared."

Tom scoffed. "Imagine if we pulled that? If they don't know our whereabouts 24/7, it's like the trial of the century."

"Seeeriously." Carlos agreed.

Mike was still scanning the club, looking for Katherine. He was worried about her, knowing how badly she must be hurting...

_"Oh god...oooh, yeah....Oh, Adam, yes!" _Katherine moaned. She wasn't hurting at all.

"I mean, is there another club on the island? Do you think there's anywhere else she could be?"

In Adam's bed, Mike? Katherine was moaning loudly and frequently, drunk as a skunk and confessing all sorts of things.

_"Oh god, Adam...nobody does it like you do...I missed you so much..."_

_"I missed you too, Kath...ohhh, yeah...I missed you too..."_

"Agh," Mike growled nervously. "She's probably crying her eyes out somewhere, all alone, and scared. I'm worried about what she's gonna do..."

_"Oh god! Adam! I'm gonna...I'm gonna...!" _Katherine panted, feeling so good she thought she might burst into flame. Adam was close too. Not only did the act of banging another man's wife turn him on, but it was Katherine, the only woman he'd ever really loved.

_"Do it, baby." _Adam breathed._ "I'm right there with you..."_

"Your best bet is to stay put." Tom said to Mike. "If she wants to find you, she'll come looking for you."

Katherine came, but it wasn't while looking for Mike. She and Adam moaned together until they were through, and then they collapsed on the bed for some feirce post-coital cuddling.

* * *

On the other side of the club, three grumpy women emerged from the trees onto a wild scene. Hundreds of horny singles, drinking and dancing on each other like it was Hump Day.

Gabrielle sighed, suddenly melancholy. "I miss this."

"I see Tom." said Lynette. "Ooh, and Carlos. Come on, let's avoid them."

Lynette and Gabrielle snuck off in another direction, hounds on the hunt for Katherine the defector, but Bree didn't follow this time. She was frozen, deer in headlights style, when she saw Orson surrounded by no less than seven beauties. He was smiling, having fun, being..._touched_, by those sluts! Bree's jaw was clenched, jealousy and anger filling the cold void that had been making her feel so empty since her awful phone call to Karl. She walked - no, she stalked - over to them, and waited for Orson to see her. When he did, he smiled, totally carefree.

"Bree!" he said. "How nice to see you. Ladies, this is my soon-to-be ex-wife."

"Hi Mrs. Hodgggge!" They all shouted in unison, giggling at themselves afterward. They all slowly became aware that Bree was not finding any humor at all in the situation. One by one, the girls danced away, just a few feet, far enough to give them space to talk. Orson stopped dancing when he noticed his Jello jigglers were gone, and sighed.

"What do you want from me?" he asked Bree. "I left you alone, finally. Isn't that what you wanted? Am I not supposed to move on and find a little fun of my own?"

"That isn't 'fun', Orson. It's a menu of STD's."

"Excuse you!" said Orson. "This from the woman whose new favorite pasttime is sleeping with other men!"

"You were blackmailing me! I was lonely!"

"I was lonely too! I was right there, waiting for you the whole time. I'm still here Bree. But you don't want me anymore!"

"What if I did?!"

"I don't know, what if?!" Orson challenged her. Feisty, independent Orson who had a way with the ladies...Bree hadn't seen this Orson in a while, and she had to admit, it turned her on to see him like this, defying her in this way. Orson could sense it, the anger in Bree's eyes transforming into something much more...enticing.

_Lust_.

They both lunged for each other, turning heads of nearby dancers when they started a passionate, public makeout session on the floor.

"Aww!" some of the girls cooed. "Hottie and his hot wife are gonna do iiit!"

"That's so romantiiic."

"Yay, Hottie! Get some!"


	8. Progress

There it was - all the passion, all the lust. With every kiss, Orson was claiming her, Mine, _mine_, _**mine**_! The dancing girls looked on, a little jealous of Bree since there wasn't only lust but love in his kisses too. They weren't watching for long, however.

"Pool house." Bree murmured between kisses.

"Mmmwhat?" Orson managed to ask.

"Pool house!" Bree panted, barely able to keep from ripping Orson's clothes off in front of everyone. _MINE_.

To the right, there was a large heated swimming pool. To their left, there was a small shack, filled with pool cleaning supplies and blow up toys. Orson and Bree knocked many of the carefully laid items over when they burst in, not looking where they were going because their faces were fused at the mouth.

Bree stumbled backward, only stopping when her butt hit a table. She stared Orson down, and he stared right back, with eyes that said _I am going to ravage that body. Right. Now._ He pulled his t-shirt over his head, one of those Target ultimate tees that only cost eight bucks but are as soft as Snuggle Bear, tossing it to the side as Bree breathed heavy and pulled lustily at the neckline fabric of her sun dress.

"Take me." Bree commanded. "Take me right here."

* * *

Lynette and Gabrielle were just passing the pool house when something slammed into the wall from within. They both jumped a little, startled, and then came a series of continuous thumps and bumps as the two people inside began to do something that rhymes with thump and bump. It made perfect sense when the shamelessly loud moaning began.

"Oh my god, ew!" Gabrielle exclaimed, imagining a douchey guy and a drunk girl, strangers hooking up. "I changed my mind, I don't miss this at all."

"At least someone here is having a good time." groused Lynette as they continued walking.

"Yeah, until the girl wakes up sober and the guy doesn't even remember her name. Nooo, I do not miss being single at all."

"Then why are we here?" asked Lynette. They'd stopped near the pool bar, and Lynette looked around the party.

"We're looking for Katherine." Gabrielle reminded her. "And apparently, for Bree. Where'd she disappear to? Do you think she's looking for Orson?"

_"Yes..."_ Bree panted. _"Yes, yes!"_

"Is that really why we're here, though?" Lynette kept wondering. "I think everyone secretly wanted to be on Sunset Island from the beginning, and I'm including Tom and myself when I say that. I saw the looks on everyone's faces when Benson told us we weren't allowed to come here."

"Well, we did sign up for a vacation..." Gabrielle admitted.

"And all you got was a nosy counselor that picked a fight with your husband. We all could have saved our money and done the fighting at home..."

_"Orson," _Bree whimpered. _"Oh, Orson...I'm so glad I came here with you...mmm, oh, Orson..."_

"Lynette," said Gabrielle. "We should all be happy to be here. I don't just mean here, on the island. I mean in our lives. Our families are beautiful and healthy, we're all doing relatively okay. So our marriages aren't perfect, so what? They're as perfect as they're going to get, and most of the time I'm happy..."

Lynette smiled, remembering the real reason she'd begged Gabrielle to come with them to Sunrise.

"Except, maybe Carlos isn't always happy." Gabrielle admitted. "I think I was being selfish today."

_"More...more!"_ Bree demanded.

"And I think I overreacted." said Lynette. She and Gabby looked sheepishly at each other, knowing what they should do next. They spotted Tom and Carlos at the bar, sipping drinks and looking pretty sexy, in that adorable, married, not-as-young-as-the-men-surrounding-them sort of way.

*

Bree and Orson collapsed on an inner tube as they caught their breath. It squeaked as Orson rolled off of Bree and on to an inflatable mattress. Bree giggled at the sound, and that made Orson smile.

"That...was nice." Orson said matter-of-factly.

Bree grinned. "It was more than nice, it was..." she trailed off when she looked at Orson and found him watching her. He wasn't smiling anymore. Bree looked away from him, searching the floor of the pool house for her sun dress. Orson got up when Bree did, and began to look for his shorts. It was quiet in the pool house. Too quiet.

"When did it start?" he asked, breaking an awkward silence.

"Orson, please don't." Bree said as she picked her dress up off the floor. It was ripped, but it was all she had to wear out of the pool house.

"I want to know." Orson said calmly. "I think I have a right to."

Bree sighed, upset that she was already frustrated so soon after getting such a wonderful release. She still felt all tingly. She slipped the dress over her head, trying to ignore his questions. Orson realized he was making the same mistakes he'd made a year ago, and decided to start over.

"That came out wrong. I don't have a right to know, I just think- "

"It didn't."

"...What?"

"It didn't start at all. I never had an affair. I wanted to...we'd even talked about planning a date and time, but I kept stalling, and-"

"Did you kiss him?"

Bree looked at Orson, shameful, and nodded.

"But you didn't sleep with him?"

Bree shook her head solemnly. "No." She held her breath as Orson pondered those facts. Eventually, he gave a little shrug and raised his eyebrows.

"I can live with that."

Bree's face crumpled into a relieved smile, and she trotted over to hug him. Orson chuckled, and put his arms around her waist. They kissed once, sweetly, and Bree sighed, hugging him again.

"You should finish getting dressed." she said, figuring it was about time to tell the others Orson was okay. Instead, Orson chuckled again.

"No, I shouldn't." he said.

Bree let go of his neck, putting her hands on his shoulders so they could talk face to face.

"But, everyone's looking for us!"

"They can look a little longer." he said. He took a few steps forward, guiding her back to the sea of blow up toys.

"Oh." said Bree. Orson kissed her, and kept walking her backward. "Oh..." she said, lower this time. And then, "Oh!" she squeaked when Orson gently pushed her over onto a pile of inflated tubes.

"We have three nights of vacation to make up for." Orson reminded her, wiggling three fingers for emphasis. He dropped to his knees before her, bouncing a little on the pool toys and causing her to bounce too. Bree gasped and held on to a nearby table leg to steady herself. "That," said Orson, referring to the love they'd just made. "Was one."

Bree's sun dress was pushed up her legs, and an excited and happy smile spread across her face.

*

Outside, the Jello jigglers were trying to sneak a peek through a steamed window.

"Can you see anything?" the shortest girl whispered.

"Ooooh, Hottie's going down towwwn!" one of the taller ones squee'd.

* * *

"Katherine!" yelled Mike as he walked along the dark, tiki torch-lit paths that linked the tiny huts on Sunset Island. He was peeking in windows, asking everyone he passed if they'd seen a cute auburn-haired woman. "Kath-!" he began to shout again, but he'd just seen through Adam's window. There they were, naked and cuddling underneath the sheets. Mike watched Adam nuzzle Katherine's neck with his nose, kissing all the places he used to. The recently reunited lovers jumped when the door to Adam's hut slammed open. They sat up, making sure to cover themselves.

"What the hell, Katherine?!"

Katherine stared at Mike, mouth hanging open with shock and indignance. "Don't what-the-hell _me_, mister! You made your choice!"

"We're still married!"

"In our minds, maybe. But not in our hearts."

Mike scoffed, and glared at Adam. "Adam, no offense, but if we hadn't been buddies back in the day, I would be punching you in the face right now."

"Understood." said Adam.

"It's too late for grand gestures." said Katherine, pouting. "You've been pushing and pushing me away, and it finally worked."

"What am I supposed to do then, leave Sunrise Island?"

Katherine smiled, pleased. "That sounds like a marvelous idea."

"You'll have to leave too, ya know."

"No, I won't." Katherine said smugly. She took Adam's hand, lacing their fingers symbolically.

"Sorry, Mike." said Adam. "We didn't plan-"

Mike pointed at him. "Stop right there. Punching you in the face isn't off the table yet."

"...Right."

"Go back to Susan." said Katherine. "Because - newsflash! - she wishes she was here with you too."

Mike's brain was slowly catching on. Katherine was with Adam now, and that meant he was free, free to be with Susan...

His brow was furrowed. "Are you sure?" he asked, not really believing his luck.

"Yes." said Katherine. "Now get out." Adam put his arms around her shoulders, and she leaned toward him. Mike sighed and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Katherine took a deep breath, letting it out and feeling pretty good about the new situation.

"So..." said Adam, looking at Katherine with hope in his eyes. "You want to get back together?"

Katherine turned, smiled and nodded. "Will you come back to Sunrise Island with me?" she said softly. Instead of answering, Adam leaned in to kiss her, and they laid back down on his bed.

* * *

Lynette and Gabrielle made their way over to the bar. Tom and Carlos stood up straight when they saw them, putting on a front like they were still upset at them.

"Hey." Lynette said sheepishly.

"Hey." Tom said curtly.

"Hi, honey." Gabrielle said sweetly.

Carlos sighed. "Hi, Gabby."

The four of them saw Bree and Orson emerge from the pool house, gazing into each other's eyes as they walked past everyone to the dance floor. There was a club banger making the bass thump, but they wrapped their arms around each other and slow danced as if they were alone.

"Am I seeing this?" Tom asked his companions. He laughed a little, as Bree and Orson kissed, making out in front of everyone at the club.

"I think we just witnessed a miracle." Carlos remarked, his eyebrows raised. Gabrielle and Lynette looked on, smiling.

"It's not a miracle." said Gabrielle. "It's just...life going back to the way it should be."

They all glanced at each other, curious but avoiding real eye contact.

"Okay, I'll go first." said Carlos, setting his beer bottle on the bar and turning to face his wife. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I brought up the ancient past, because you're right - we're past the past. It wouldn't be fair to ask for more, because I have all I've ever wanted, and I have it with my best friend."

"Aw!" said Gabrielle, pushing herself up on her toes to hug Carlos. He chuckled.

"Okay..." he said as she let go. "Your turn?"

"I know," Gabrielle scolded him. "I was getting to that." She stood in front of him and held his hands in hers, looking up at him with deeply earnest brown eyes. "I'm sorry I tried to make you jealous. It's selfish of me and maybe a little sick that I enjoy it so much." They laughed together, because it was true and Carlos didn't care as long as he had Gabrielle at the end of the day. "I love you, and there's no one that could ever steal me away from you."

Carlos bent down to kiss his wife, and they embraced again. Lynette and Tom had listened to and watched the whole thing, sappy smiles on their faces as their best friends made up with each other. Lynette turned to Tom and sighed happily.

"You wanna just skip the apology and make out?" she asked him.

Tom put his beer down next to Carlos', and held his arms out to Lynette. "Come to papa."

They both grinned as Tom took her in his arms, and they kissed.

*

"Mmm," Bree sighed against Orson's lips. He pulled himself away just far enough to nuzzle her nose with his, and she rested her forehead against his. "I love you." Bree whispered.

"I love you too." said Orson, holding her close.

Bree had on a torn sun dress, Orson was in board shorts and a t-shirt, and the song that the DJ was spinning sure mentioned a lot of bitches and hoes, but Bree and Orson were off in their own little world. In their minds, it was their wedding night all over again, and a crooner was singing "The Way You Look Tonight".

*

"Well, we found Orson and Bree." said Tom. "And they're obviously ready to go back to Sunrise and finish their counseling. Now we just have to find Katherine."

"Or maybe she'll find you." came Katherine's voice from behind them. They spun around and saw her there, holding hands with someone they hadn't seen in years.

"Adam! Buddy!" Carlos said, stepping over to shake Adam's hand and give him a macho, one-armed embrace. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he stepped back.

"Well, I came here to get laid," Adam answered honestly, a twinkle in his eye as he looked down at Katherine. "But I ended up with a whole lot more."

Lynette and Gabby looked on, surprised but relieved to see Katherine looking so happy.

"What happened to Mike?" Gabrielle asked her.

"I don't know." Katherine said, still gazing up at Adam with a dreamy look in her eye. "He ran off when he found us in bed together."

Lynette's eyebrows shot up when Katherine pulled Adam to her and gave him a passionate, tongue-filled kiss. In fact, all their eyebrows went up, as Katherine and Adam stumbled around, devouring each other's mouths. Katherine was obviously still drunk, and Adam was not exactly turned off by his ex-wife's advances.

* * *

Eventually, they all regrouped and left the club discreetly, making their way through the trees back to the beach where they'd left their boats. They didn't see him, but Benson had been watching them the whole time from the shadows of the DJ booth. He watched them head out, a proud smile on his face.

And so, once the couples managed to keep their hands off each other for the length of a canoe ride back to Sunrise Island, they all snuck back into their rooms, cuddling up to their spouses for the three hours they had left before their alarms went off. According to their itineraries, there was a special meeting in the early hours of the morning, and they couldn't be late. For the first time since their arrival, they didn't mind having to wake up at the crack of dawn. They couldn't wait to show off how much progress they'd made.

* * *

_One more chapter...I wonder if they'll meet the man in charge? :D_


	9. A New Beginning

_Thanks so much to everyone that read and reviewed, your comments mean the world to me! I hope you like the last chapter. Just remember not to take it too seriously... :D  
_

* * *

It was now the crack of dawn. They'd changed their minds.

*

"Nnnooo..." Lynette groaned into her pillow. "This is vacation, I don' wanna..."

Tom shook her shoulder again. "I know, honey. But we have to, it's for the program and Benson said -"

*

"Aghh, we can't be late, I know." Gabrielle interrupted Carlos. "Just...throw me a towel, I'll shower really fast."

"Nope. No time." said Carlos. "Good thing we're on a tropical island. Walking around in my swimming trunks looks normal."

*

"Are you ready?" Bree asked Orson. She was standing at the small opening of their hut suite, waiting for him to join her.

"All set." said Orson, smiling as he walked to her and took her hand. They were a little older, and didn't have kids to raise. Sleeping in wasn't a precious treasure to be longed for.

*

As these three couples made their way to the beach, Katherine and Adam came jogging out of their room after them.

"Wait for us!"

* * *

They all lined up on the beach, waiting for their host to arrive. Benson approached from the direction of the main offices, followed by an island servant holding a large wooden box.

"Wow, that looks heavy." Lynette remarked as they drew near.

"It is." The servant replied, his voice strained. "Extremely."

Gabrielle grimaced, but before she could suggest that he put it down, Benson spoke up.

"Good morning." he said, his eyes traveling down the line of visitors. Lynette and Tom looked tired, but in good spirits. Carlos and Gabrielle were the same. Next, Benson noticed Bree and Orson standing very close to one another, holding hands. Bree saw him smile in their direction, and she got a funny feeling about what he'd said to her the previous night when they'd left the dining room without eating. He'd told her to have a good night, and a good night she'd certainly had. Benson's eyes then came to rest on Katherine and Adam.

"We have a newcomer...?" Benson remarked. Katherine smiled, sheepish but excited. She held on to Adam's arm, looking up at him before turning back to Benson to explain his presence.

"This is Adam. He was my second husband, and...I was hoping he could take Mike's place here."

"I see..." Benson said slowly. "And what of Mr. Delfino?"

Just then, the morning ferry tooted it's horn. They all turned to look at a small skiff making it's way across the water, a hundred feet out. Mike was standing in the passenger area, waving sadly.

Katherine smiled. "He's leaving." she said.

"Well then," Benson said pleasantly. "I suppose it would be alright, if you are both committed to the process, to continue here with a new partner."

"Oh, I'm committed." Adam said.

"We both are." Katherine said, sounding just as sure. Benson nodded, smiling.

"So, what's this meeting about?" Carlos inquired.

"Yeah, you look happy." said Gabrielle. "What's up with that?"

Benson chuckled. "To be honest, we weren't sure if any of you would be joining us this morning. It seemed as if you were drifting apart, as couples and as friends, yet here you are, banding together as a group, in support of each other. It is quite inspiring, and so the founder of this couples retreat has decided it is time to meet you."

The couples all looked at each other, pleasantly surprised by the news.

"Ah," said Benson, turning when he heard footsteps behind him. "Here he is now. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the owner of this island, and the man that developed this unique and wonderful program that has brought you to this beach today. Relationship guru, Dave Williams."

Jaws dropped, and a few actually gasped as Dave Williams, inciter of mayhem and committer of manslaughter, attempted infanticide and straight up murder, stepped out from the shade of the palm trees and approached the group. "Dave?!" they all said in collective shocked reaction. He was wearing a long blue tunic and nothing on his feet, looking very much the part of an island guru, except they all knew better. They all knew the man he used to be, at least.

"Hello." he said calmly with that warm, easy smile of his.

"Benson," Lynette said calmly. "Who do I speak to about a refund?"

Dave chuckled, as did Benson. "Please, don't be alarmed." said Dave. "I know I've done some things in the past that might be considered..."

"Monstrous?" Gabrielle suggested.

"Inhuman?" Lynette chimed in.

"Irredeemable?" said Carlos, putting his two cents in.

"Why, yes." said Dave, his smile widening. "All of those words would be very appropriate. But..." Dave tipped his head and raised one eyebrow. "Haven't we all made mistakes?"

All of Dave's guests averted their eyes, thinking of all the horrible things they'd done in the past. Orson thought of the now absent Mike, Katherine thought of evil Wayne, Carlos thought of poor Ralph the gardener, Lynette thought of Nora and Art's sister, Bree thought of...everyone, and Adam even recalled the deranged Sylvia from Chicago.

"I think my presence here, and the success of this program, proves that anyone can be redeemed." Dave continued once they all realized that they weren't so innocent after all. Tom looked at Lynette, who looked at Gabrielle, who glanced up at Carlos, who turned to look at Bree and Orson, and they both looked at Adam and Katherine. Katherine, on the end of the line, shrugged.

"He didn't try to kill _my_ kid."

Orson's brow furrowed. "Didn't he try to kill _you_?"

Katherine shrugged again, and smiled. "Almost doesn't count!"

Dave smiled appreciatively. "You should know, I'm not just here to brag about my miraculous recovery." he told them. "I'm here today to present each of you with a trophy, a physical representation of your relationships in the form of a spirit animal."

At this point, Benson took the top off the box the island servant was holding, and Dave walked over to take out the first of four wooden sculptures.

"Tom, Lynette..." said Dave, holding their trophy in front of him. "Your spirit animal is the majestic beaver. Hard working, industrious, you've built your home and your family life as sturdy as your love for each other. It may seem sometimes as if the hardships that befall you are too much to handle, but your dam holds the heavy water at bay, and your strength and dedication inspire others to greatness."

Lynette and Tom accepted their trophy with humble appreciation, as their friends smiled in obvious agreement.

"Wow. Majestic, huh?" Lynette said, grinning at the pair of chubby wood-carved rodents in her hands. "I thought you were going to say we both have buck teeth."

Dave laughed, and once again reached into the deep chest. Gabrielle and Carlos were next in line, and they both made faces when he pulled out a scuplture of a winged creature.

"Gabrielle, Carlos..." said Dave, turning to them. "Your spirit animal is the bat. Do you know why?"

"Uh," said Gabrielle, grimacing at the tiny open mouths on the two bats in front of her. "I'm a screeching, blood-sucking rat with wings?"

Dave smiled patiently. "Not at all."

Carlos cleared his throat at that statement, and Gabrielle elbowed him in the ribs.

"Don't worry, the selection of your spirit animal has nothing to do with its diet. The vampire bat is not known for its eyesight, but even when one of you was without vision, you were able to raise two beautiful children and maintain a safe home through tough economic times. Now, this fruit bat I'm holding actually has excellent vision. Having remained true to each other through these struggles, you now see exactly how much your marriage means to each other."

Gabrielle smiled softly as she took the trophy from Dave. After hearing that explanation, the bat felt just right.

"Bree, Orson..." said Dave. "Like beavers and bats, wolves are an animal that mates for life. Both of you were married once before you met, but you were able to find another life partner in each other. When you hunt together - or, in your case, cook or clean together - it is a celebration of your devotion and commitment to that partnership. Just be sure to remember that equality in partnership will see you through any hard times."

Bree and Orson took the carving from Dave together, smiling at the two wolves that stood side to side, one resting its head on the other. Bree and Orson then looked at each other, and shared a kiss.

Dave paused before reaching into the trunk for the fourth and final time. "Katherine, Adam: your spirit animal was very tough to divine, since you only found each other in early hours of the morning. Thankfully we keep an extra bin of these things around from couples that don't make it past the second week of counseling. For you, the Mayfairs, I have chosen...the swan."

"Damn." said Tom. "My money was riding on some kind of wild monkey."

Katherine turned to look at Tom, making a little scoffing noise in her throat. Gabrielle rolled her eyes, and looked at Katherine.

"Yes, we all heard you last night." said Gabby with a friendly smirk.

Adam cleared his throat, hiding a laugh. Katherine merely smiled and turned back to Dave. He stood before them with a pair of swans, their necks interwoven and their wings spread open.

"In nature, though it is rare, swans are known to divorce from their lifemates. Like the Hodges beside you, the history of your previous relationships and the marriage you shared is a complicated one, one that seemed to end in failure. I am happy to present you with this trophy today, because these swans were able to find their way back to each other. Congratulations."

Katherine and Adam took the carving from Dave, and turned to each other to kiss like Bree and Orson. They didn't stop at a simple kiss however. The rest of the couples groaned as Katherine wrapped her arms around Adam's neck, and he wrapped his around Katherine's waist.

Dave chuckled, and turned toward the rest of them. "Congratulations to all of you. You are now free to enjoy all that Sunrise Island has to offer."

"The spa?" Gabrielle asked immediately.

"The jet skis?" Carlos chimed in.

"Yes." said Dave. "And no more itineraries or early mornings, unless you want to see the famous sunrise this island is named for. Either way, it will be at your leisure."

"You guys have jet skis?" Adam asked in wonder, breaking away from Katherine's kiss when he heard the magical words.

"We do now." Tom said, grinning, his arm around Lynette's shoulders.

"Wait a minute, 'we'?" Lynette said, looking up at him. "Tom, I don't know if I trust you and fast moving recreational equipment..."

"Lynette, remember what Dave said about equality in partnership?"

"No, those were the wolves. We're beavers, Tom. We're all about hard work and building dams, you won't be able to do that with a thrown out back."

"We'll take care of him, Lynette." Carlos assured her, pulling Tom away.

"Yeah, let's go to the spa!" said Gabrielle. "With cucumber slices over your eyes, you won't be able to see Tom wiping out or crashing into the dock."

"Yeah!" Tom agreed. "Hey, wait..."

"Do you want to go with them?" Bree asked Orson. She stood in front of him, their wolf trophy cradled in her hands. "Sounds like a lot of fun."

"I do," said Orson. "Unless you want to spend the day together?"

Bree smiled. "I'll be here when you get back."

"That's the best news I've heard all week." said Orson. He kissed Bree, then jogged toward his buddies. "Adam, are you coming?" he called out over his shoulder, turning and jogging backwards across the beach while he waited for an answer.

Adam looked at Katherine. "Kath, I love you, but...jet skis?!"

Katherine laughed and rolled her eyes. "Go, it's fine." Adam grabbed her face and kissed her, and then ran in Orson's direction. Bree and Katherine watched them both run across the beach, smiling adoringly at their men as they caught up with Tom and Carlos. They both glanced at each other awkwardly, noticing they were left semi-alone on the beach together.

"The spa sounded nice." Bree remarked.

Katherine nodded politely. "It did." she said. She took a deep breath, and sighed quietly. "...You wanna go with me?" she said suddenly.

Bree's face broke into a smile, and she nodded. "I do."

Katherine smiled back. "Let's go."

Benson and Dave watched them go, arm in arm, heading the way Gabrielle and Lynette had gone.

"Well, it looks like a happy ending for all." said Dave, smiling.

"Indeed." said Benson, though he was eyeing Dave suspiciously. "If you don't mind me asking, Mr. Williams...what is it you did in Fairview that could be described as monstrous, inhuman and irredeemable?"

Dave chuckled softly, still staring out at the beach where another group of happy clients were heading toward the fun of paradise. "It's best not to dwell on the past, Benson. Every sunrise brings a new beginning."

Benson smiled, satisfied.

The End. :)


End file.
